Simple Nightmares
by mangoesandyogurt
Summary: I'm no good with summaries. If curious, just read. Rated T for slight language and possible future violence.
1. Chapter 1

**YAY! First Fanfic here! I decided that since I've been sick and it's almost winter break, I might have a lot of time to write... Which I love to do... This means that I'll be uploading pretty soon!**

**Also, I will take any suggestions or plot bunnies! I'm actually looking for _one _romantic plot bunny... Don't worry, I will not allow this to become a romance! I promise! **

**Plot bunny contest: Please pick _one __MALE_ character from PJO and pick a way for them to meet my character... :D**

**Winner gets a character in my story!**

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><p>My mother pulls me close, her scrawny arms tugging at my body. Her cold, bloodshot eyes bear into my soul, searching for anything, simply something to grasp in her drunken state. Seeing nothing, her frustration bubbles, a force rippling through her body. She turns it upon me, smacking me upside the head. I feel the warm mark of her hand where it hit and I grab at my head, attempting to stop the rough pain.<p>

"Nev'r 'gain," she slurs, her mind deluded with the ale in her hand.

I've done nothing wrong, although I fear my mother so I give her the response she wishes to hear.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammer in response. I'll do anything to get her away from me, anything at all.

"B'eter be," she grumbles to herself as she takes yet another swig from the bottle in her hand. "B'eter be s'rry."

She gets up suddenly, knocking me off her lap and sending the contents of the table before her to the floor. She staggers towards the couch on the other side of the room and lays herself upon it. She attempts to take yet another swig from her bottle, but it's empty. The frustration returns to her in that moment, bubbling angrily yet again. She grabs the empty bottle and throws it into the fireplace. The force of the blow sends shards of glass everywhere. A small shard impales itself into my left hand and I let out a small cry of pain.

"Ou there," my mother shouts at me. "'Nother 'ottle!"

I race to the kitchen, knowing not to raise my mother's temper when she is drunk. Just before my hand touches the fridge handle, a picture on the fridge catches my eye. A man, dark as night, stares back at me. His eyes are the one thing that catches mine. They seem to have an eternity of knowledge behind them. I stare into the eyes of my father for only a moment too long.

"'Ere's my 'eer?" my mother shouts angrily at me, awakening me from my daydream.

"I-I'll be right there."

I whip the door open and look for my mother's case of beer. There, in the very back, are the wretched bottles. With my hands shaking, I grasp one bottle by its neck before making my way towards my mother. I hand it to her and she shoves it back into my hands.

"O'en it!" she shouts angrily.

I take the bottle opener and attempt to open the bottle, but my hands shake so badly that I can't hold it. The bottle escapes my grasp and shatters on the ground.

"Stupid!" my mother shouts, hitting my head once more.

I run from the room, upwards towards my own. I pack everything I can into my bag, everything I own. I set down the stairs, slinging my bag over my back and unlocking the front door. Just as I am about to step outside, I remember something.

_I almost forgot my father._

I step back into the house, dragging my feet towards the kitchen. I stagger towards the fridge; my body ready to explode into tears from the pain my head is still in. With my good hand, I grab at the image of my father, knocking the little, smiling fridge magnet to the ground.

I race back towards the front door. Anger bubbles within me, both towards my parents and towards myself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to redheadgirl1996 for her review! Just as a bit of a response, the name comes in this chapter! If you're attentive, you will find out her name! I never truly include the names in the first chapter just 'cause I like to "meditate" upon the names before using them. It gives me time to look at names, name meanings and things like that. :)**

**Btw, most of what I write is creepy... Most people learn to get used to it and even expect it when I write... xD**

**Again, the plot bunny contest is still up! If you can think of a character from PJO (an original, Rick Riordan character) that is _MALE_, does _NOT_ have a girlfriend already and it _CANNOT_ be Nico DeAngelo. Sorry guys, Nico's out. **

**Clarifying, the winner get's a character ALL TO THEIR OWN in my story. This means you MAKE YOUR OWN character and you get to decided what relationship they have to my MC. They cannot, however, be siblings. Sorry 'bout that too!**

**ENJOY! **

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><p>Fainting. Dying. Struggling to breathe.<p>

All of this occurring at once, killing me from the inside, destroying my soul.

I run forward because running back is not an option. Running back means returning to my mother. Running back means returning to my old life. This is something I refuse to do.

Although on the streets, life is better here than it was at home. I've practically been living off of food scraps that I find in dumpsters behind restaurants. The food isn't good but its food. If it's keeping me alive then it's good enough.

But is that what I really want? Do I really _want _to live?

Yes. I have some sort of purpose, no matter what it may be.

I drag myself over to the Mc Donald's dumpster. I feel around for food, anything at all to kill the pain in my stomach. My hand brushes by some old cheeseburger and I grasp at it suddenly. Fishing it out with my hand, I find that it is still in its wrapper. I unwrap it slowly. The burger is perfect.

I begin to eat it hungrily before I spot someone else. I crouch behind the dumpster, eyeing the visitor wearily from behind it.

A young blonde boy, barely six or seven years old, reaches in just as I did, searching for food. He finds nothing. Just as he is about to walk away, I notice his figure. He's thin, stick thin, as if he hasn't eaten in days. His clothes are tattered and bloody. His hand is bent at a strange angle, as if it had been snapped backwards.

A sob of pity enters my throat and I attempt to swallow it back down. I know what I have to do.

Tightening my grip on my bag and food, I make my way towards the boy. I place my hand gingerly on his shoulder and he whirls around, ready to attack in some kind of stance.

"Please, don't hurt me," I beg the boy. "I just wanted to give you this."

I hand him half of the burger and he eyes it wearily. Then he looks up at me, his eyes unblinking and mouth silent. He opens the burger slightly as if checking for some kind of poison. What was with him?

"Here," I say, taking a bite out of my half. I swallow it quickly before responding. "It's okay. I haven't done anything to it."

He inhales the burger, not even stopping to breathe.

"I-I'm Kayla," I stammer, still surprised at how fast the child could eat.

"Marcus," he responds once he's done.

He seems quiet, taking shelter behind the trash bin as if he's scared of me.

"It's okay, I don't bite," I chuckle slightly.

He seems to cringe at the word _bite. _It's as if he actually were expecting me to attack him.

But I don't blame him. I've seen some strange things these past few days. Strange, monster-like creatures have been flocking to me. They seem to try to attack me but it's as if they were held back by something. A fear of sorts.

I still hadn't sorted that out. These strange mutant dogs tried to attack me yesterday but when they saw me, they ran away, whimpering.

I turn back to the boy and a look of realization hits me.

"You've seen them too," I whisper, a slight sound of shock visible in my voice. "The creatures. They've attacked you too."

He nods slightly, eyes glued to the floor.

I remember his blood-stained clothes and I risk a question.

"What did they do to you?" I ask, taking the poor boy's hand in mine.

He shows me the claw-mark in his side. The gaping wound still red and bloody from the cut. It's maybe eight inches long and about an inch deep. His skin is hot to the touch, as if he's gotten some sort of fever due to the wound.

I pull out a small emergency kit from my bag and get a water bottle and some gauze.

"Sit still," I say to him as I uncap the bottle.

I pour a bit of cold water onto the wound and he cringes at the pain. I take a paper napkin from my bag and pat it down slightly, attempting to clean it. I've never done this before and I hope I'm not hurting him now.

I throw the bloody napkin into the trash and wrap the gauze around him, covering the wound and clipping it into place with a bobby pin.

It doesn't look good but it will have to do for now.

"Thanks," he says under his breath.

"You're welcome."

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><p><strong>IMAGINARY COOKIES AND REAL RESPONSES TO ALL REVIEWERS! :D<strong>

** (: :) - Cookies are freshly baked! xD**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! I'm back! Sorry it took so long to update... I've been busy...**

**Oh yeah, I've forgotten to do this the past few times... **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO... yet. I will, one day! I will own it all! MUA HA HA HA! But, for the time being, I only own the plot and my personal characters. :)**

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><p>The boy spills to me his story.<p>

His father had also abandoned his mother at his birth. His mother, unlike mine, abandoned him. He's lived his life in an orphanage and just recently ran away.

In return for his story, I gave him mine. From my drunken mother to my missing father. I spilled my whole story to him and he nodded as if understanding.

"How long have you been on the streets?" he asks me.

"Only a few days," I answer. "And you?"

"Three weeks."

We walk in silence for a few minutes, simply taking in the peace.

Then, from nowhere, jumps a strange horse-rooster animal, neighing wildly. It charges towards us in a strange mixture of galloping like a horse and hopping like a chicken.

"These freaking Hippalectryons. Practically impossible to kill," Marcus mutters under his breath.

"What?" I ask, confused slightly.

"It's these freaking Hippaelctryons. They're fast as hell when they wanna be which makes them impossible to catch. Sometimes they're harder to kill than hydras," he explains.

I stare at him in wonder. Harder to kill then hydras? Is that even possible?

"I'll distract it while you run. We'll meet at the park," he whispers to me.

"No, I'll take care of it," I answer.

He stares at me in shock.

"Are you kidding me? Have you fought these before?" he asks.

"No, have you?"

"No."

"I've got as much experience as you do. Now go! Scat!"

He runs towards the park and I walk closer to the animal.

"Calm down," I whisper to it. "Calm down."

He neighs angrily, waving its mane and flapping its wings.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just here to talk," I whisper in return.

He calms slightly, flapping his wings once more. I gingerly pat his mane, combing it slightly with my fingers. He seems to freeze under my hand, twitching at my touch. He steps back. I can see the visible fear in his eyes.

It's always been like this. Animals seem to fear me. They seem to pull away and freeze at my touch.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," I whisper sweetly.

It steps closer and I return to patting it. After a few moments of this, he kneels slightly, symbolising that I should mount. I push myself onto his back and he takes off into the air.

"Wait! I have to go back and find Marcus," I shout over the whistling sound of the wind.

The animal neighs in frustration and flies back down, its feet hitting the ground carefully as it lands.

"Thanks," I whisper to it.

I jump off his back and step into the park. The young boy sits on a bench, staring at the skies in shock.

"W-what? How?" he stammers, completely in shock.

"Any beast can be tamed. He's actually quite sweet. Come on!" I answer.

I drag him towards the animal as the boy behind me whimpers slightly. He stops all of a sudden, paralysed with fear at the sight of the beast.

"You sissy! Come on!" I laugh. He frowns slightly, but agrees.

I mount the animal and drag him on as well.

"Where are we going?" he asks.

"Wherever it takes us."

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><p><strong>Clarification: Hippaelctryons are Rooster-Horses. They have the front halves of horses and the back of a rooster as well as rooster wings. They are rarely mentioned in mythology but they come up every so often. They are an animal hybrid, used as a weapon from the pits of Tartarus during the Titan War. They are considered impossible to kill due to it's speed. It has amazing endurance. <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry! I know, I'm late! Also, I'm sorry it's so short!**

**Winner of the plot bunny contest is Cockapoo! .net/u/3155183/**

**Your character and the "boyfriend" character will be added into the next chapter!**

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><p>I would have never thought that the poor boy had met only hours before, shivering and tired, could be this happy.<p>

Marcus's feet were slipped under the creature's body, holding him in place. His arms were extended upward as if he were on a rollercoaster. His blonde locks float in the gentle breeze. He's almost... angelic. The boy turns to me, flashing me a smile the size of the moon.

I would have never thought that such happiness could be dragged out of that boy. He seemed so unreachable and unresponsive, living life with no emotion.

To hear his laughter, see his smile, it gives me a sense of hope.

_I could be like that._

_I could be happy._

_I could be free._

I stare into the horizon, wondering when my time, my chance to be this way, would come.

_Why not now?_

I decide to enjoy the day as if it were my last. Because you never quite know, it could be my last.

"Let's land there!" I say, pointing to a small, 1950's styled ice-cream parlour. "I'm hungry."

The boy smiles brightly once more and we land, the hippaelctryon's feet skidding slightly on the asphalt.

We step in and I feel as if I am in a trance. The world seems to have shifted under my feet.

Was it coincidence or fate that has led me here?

"Marcus?" I ask, snapping the boy back to attention from his glazed stare at the menu. "I'll be right back, okay? Don't move."

He nods before returning to the menu.

I step out for a moment, breathing in the calming scent of the ocean.

A memory clicks in my mind and I recognise my sudden sensation of déjà vu.

I'm back, back to the place in which I once called home.

I remember this.

I know where I am.

Long Island, New York.

Montauk Beach.


	5. Chapter 5

**I know I was supposed to include the new characters and the entry to CHB in this chapter, but I felt as if I needed to include this as well. :)**

**Thanks to Jessie7517 for your review! I will update! Every day this week, hopefully!**

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><p>"And I'll have a scoop of that. Ooh, what's that?" I hear Marcus' eager voice from across the parlor.<p>

"Marshmallows and chocolate chunks," answers the short, husky man from behind the counter.

"Then I'll have some of that too."

I sneak up on the boy, practically tip toeing as not to be heard.

"You'll get a stomach ache," I say, scaring the hell out of him.

He jumps slightly; staring wide eyed at me, in yet another defensive position, his raised arms defending his chest and his legs slightly bent.

"Don't kill me!" I chuckle slightly as his face reddens.

He mumbles incoherent words under his breath before returning to the counter and continuing his ice-cream order.

Five scoops later, he sits down at one of the tables, gulping down the frozen dessert.

"You'll get brain freeze," I warn him as I slide into the booth next to him.

He reminds me of my brother. Although I do not remember my brother's appearance, I remember the memories we had shared. Like voice memos saved in my mind.

They haunt me, everything from simple sentences to full phrases. They seem to test my sanity, test my ability to stand. They hit me like bolts of lightning at random intervals. Sometimes they simply faze me, yet sometimes they are too much to bear.

This is one of those moments. Yet this is different. I not only hear his voice but I see him too. I see him in the young child beside me. My younger brother, still haunting me to this day.

I am held completely prisoner to this new, emerging memory. It grabs at me, shaking my violently from the present to the past.

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><p>"<em>Don't chug your slurpee, you'll get brain freeze!" I hear my voice shouting at the young four-year-old beside me.<em>

_He lifts his head slightly, acknowledging my presence, yet ignoring my words. I feel a slight frustration boil within me. I'm trying to help the child and he accepts none of it, ignoring my words of wisdom as you would a household fly._

"_I'm not kidding, Anthony!" I shout in yet another futile attempt to drag the boy from the drink using only words._

_He nods this time yet he still ignores my words._

_He stops all of a sudden, a chill running up his back and a pain settling into his skull._

"_It hurts!" the preschooler complains. "Mommy, it hurts!"_

_I attempt to quiet him by covering his mouth with my hand, yet it's no use. He bites down and I feel the warm, sticky blood surface. I scream out in agony myself, waking my mother from her "hangover nap."_

_She stumbles into the room, still slightly drunk from her night out the day before. She grabs at the boy but I intercept, taking her wrist just as she is about to __punch his small nose._

_She growls at me and aims at me instead. My defence mode kicks in and I manage to get her to the ground, straddling her._

_The woman is stronger than me. She knocks my off of her and straddles me instead, reversing our roles. Her hand forms a fist and she aims. My nose, my forehead, anywhere she can reach is hit, kicked or punched in a drunken frenzy._

_I cry out, causing my brother to cry as well. I see a small tear flow from his left eye and, amidst my pain, one thought surfaces._

_I'll get us out one day._

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><p><strong>Sorry, that's kind of short too... Two uploads in one day! I'm on a roll!<strong>

**New contest! Think of one PJO character that could be used as a best friend for our good ol' fashioned MC Layla! Submit ideas to the reviews section! Winner gets to make up a character for the story... Good luck!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! MUA HA HA! (Sorry 'bout that... I'm having an over caffinated day today)**

**Thanks again to my reviewers! I am back for yet another chapter! Yay!**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own PJO yet. I will somehow manage to do so in the next few years but for now, it belongs to Rick Riordan. :(**

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><p>"Layla? Hello?" I watch as a small hand passes in front of my vision.<p>

"Y-yeah. I'm fine," I answer, my voice cracking slightly.

What was that? I had practically blacked out for a moment. Never, not once, has a memory had that large of an effect on me and never have I had an actual visual memory. I haven't seen my brothers face since he disappeared nearly ten years ago.

"You, like, blacked out! I was totally freaked! What happened?" asks the worried voice belonging to the boy beside me.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Eat your ice-cream, we've got to go soon," I answer rapidly, attempting to cover the worried look that's currently crossing my face.

"Uh, okay," the boy says cautiously, turning back to the half melted, last scoop of ice-cream sitting before him.

Once he's done, we return to the hippaelctryon. The beast neighs and I notice it's shivering. When I step closer to it I see the gash.

On its front right leg, just above the knee-like joint, is a huge red gash. The animal whimpers as I carefully touch the skin surrounding it. I attempt to calm him by whispering in his ear, but it's no use. Whatever cut the animal also scared it out of its wits.

"Calm down and I'll fix it," I whisper calmly to it.

I pull out my water bottle and what little gauze I have left. The animal whimpers as I pour the last of my water onto the cut. I bandage it hastily, not knowing exactly what I'm doing.

"Can you still fly?" I ask him.

He gives me a small nod and a forced neigh that sounds slightly like a whimper.

"Are you sure? Because if you're not up to it―"

I'm cut off by a loud and a lot more convincing neigh. Although I'm not entirely convinced of the animal's health, I mount it, taking Marcus' hand and dragging him up as well.

"We should name him, you know?" Marcus says to me, just as the hippaelctryon starts to lift off the ground.

"What do you want to name it?" I ask, knowing that I am completely dead of creativity in this field.

"How about Alae? It means 'wings' in Latin," He explains.

"And you know this because..."

"Don't ask, it's a long story."

We fly off and I feel Alae's wings flapping beneath my feet. That look of pure joy returns to Marcus' face, although this time, only for a moment. He notices the strange look on my face.

I've caught onto something, some sort of strange signal. We have to land. I don't know why, I just know that we do.

"I need you to land," I whisper to Alae.

The animal lands swiftly and I notice something to our left.

A huge mob.

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><p><strong>Yeah, again, that's pretty short... The next chapter'll be short too... Sorry!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Noticing again that feeling of déjà vu, I race quickly to the mob, Marcus running closely at my heels.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"Shh!" I camp my hand over his mouth.

I sneak in behind the mob and my worst fears are confirmed. A whole mob of monsters.

They seem to notice my presence and they turn to me. These are nothing like the simpleminded mutants I've faced the past few days. These are full out freaks of nature. Creatures that shouldn't exist. The worst of monsters.

They scare me out of my wits and I can feel my knees buckles, yet I am unresponsive. I feel myself black out as muscular arms reach out towards me. Arms belonging not to a monster, but to a human.

...:.:...

**Malcolm's P.O.V**

****The girl wasn't heavy, maybe the same weight as one of my younger siblings. I run with her in my arms, heading to the big house, as Clarisse and the older campers take care of the monsters.

I stumble through the woods, almost stumbling at some points, but managing to keep my balance throughout. I rearrange the girl into a more comfortable position for both of us. I race, holding her bridal-style, until I bump into my sister Annabeth.

"What's going on out there?" she asks worriedly. "Where's Percy?"

"M-mob," I say, panting as I attempt to swallow the air. I continue once I've caught my breath. "A gaint mob of monsters, out of nowhere! They just kind of appeared. Percy's helping fight them off. They're at Thalia's pine."

"I should help them," she says before noticing the girl in my arms. "New camper?"

"Yeah," I answer. "We think. She got through the barriers, though, so she's probably one of us."

"Take her to the infirmary," Annabeth says before running off in the direction of the mob.

I continue to race, reaching the big house at a record setting speed. I run into the infirmary, laying the girl gently in one of the beds. I begin to tend to her yet I notice that she doesn't have many wounds. How is it that she's survived on her own without getting hurt?

I sit at her bedside, knowing that I should be fighting. Still, I can't seem to leave her here alone. What if she were to awaken and nobody were to be here?

I spoon some nectar into her mouth as an Will Solace walks in, a young boy in his arms.

"Who's that?" I ask him.

"I might ask the same about your friend there," he answers, nodding towards the girl as he lays the boy in a bed beside her.

"Found her near the mob. She's taking the nectar so I'm guessing she's one of us," I answer, continuing to feed her while doing so.

"Found this kid in the mob, too. Pretty badly beaten. How 'bout yours?"

"Not a scratch."

"Really? Let me see."

He walks over and looks the girl up and down. Noticing just as I did, that she was completely fine, he walks back to tend to the boy.

"Miraculous. To think that she's found us, somehow, and not earned herself a single scratch," he says as he removes the old bandages from the boy's body and replaces them with new ones. "Take a damp cloth and pat her forehead with it, should wake her faster."

I do as he tells me, dampening a small towel and patting her forehead.

"Does anybody know where they came from?" I ask Will.

"Not by what I can tell. Appeared out of nowhere, just like the monsters. We didn't find any cars or bikes or anything, and it's not likely that they walked the whole way here," he answers.

"What do we do now?" I ask. "It doesn't look like the girl is getting up any time soon."

"One of us should still stay. She could wake up at any moment and she'll probably freak out the moment she does," the son of Apollo answers, chuckling slightly. "You should stay, I've got to tend to those on the front lines for now. See ya."

Will grabs a medical kit and runs off in the direction of Thalia's pine.

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><p><strong>I know I said in the last chapter that this was going to be short... It was but I extended it to some level... It used to be just that first part (without Malcolm's P.O.V) which was WAAAAY too short looking to me so I added some to it... :) Remember to review!<strong>

**Reviews = Cookies! (: :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Again, this is SUPER short. The new character, Alisa, who was designed by Cockapoo, has finally been included! Hazzah!**

**Also, Keyvetprevet pointed out that in one chapter, my characters name is Kayla and in another it's Layla. The name was supposed to be Layla but since I typed the original first few chapters on my iPad, the autocorrect ruined it... Enjoy this cookie! (: :)**

**To Cockapoo, I don't usually write that long of chapters which is why I can, most of the time, finish one or two a day :) Sorry 'bout that! I will also attempt to update every day :) Here, have a cookie! (: :)**

**Also, to Jessie7517 and redheadgirl1997, I forgot your cookies! (: :) (: :) Enjoy!**

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><p>Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I attempt to take in the view. The room I have awoken to is silent and has a strange smell like antiseptic mixed with something I cannot name. The bed I have been placed in is more of a cot then an actual bed.<p>

The memories return to me and I almost jump. _The monsters. Marcus. Where am I?_

I attempt to get out of the bed but a cold hand pushes me back down. My eyes trail up the arm and I find myself staring into warm grey eyes. A hint of a smile finds itself onto the face of my captor.

"What have you done to Marcus? Where is he?" I ask worriedly, attempting to fight against the muscular arms that hold me down.

"The boy you were with? He's fine, just needs some patching up. You've been out for a while," the boy says to me, his voice deep and comforting.

I feel as if I am about to melt. My arms go slightly numb and I can feel myself beginning to black out again.

The boy asks me another question but it is lost in my unresponsive mind as the lights begin to fade.

...:.:...

**Malcolm's P.O.V**

The girl seems to fade away yet again, leaving my question unanswered. But this is of no matter to me. She needed to rest anyways.

I pull my hand swiftly through my bleached blonde hair, pushing it swiftly out of my face and out of my eyes.

Grinning slightly, I set off to the dining pavilion, hoping that someone else will take watch for me.

I run the whole way, happy to finally be free of the strange smells that fill the infirmary. The smile on my face seems to grow, although I have no idea why. I just feel happy for no good reason.

"What's with you today? You look like you've been attacked by a rainbow. What's with you?" Alisa, one of my best friends, asks, her caramel, wavy hair flowing behind her back in the wind.

"Nothing. Do I need a permit to be happy?" I ask, laughing slightly.

"Nah, just confused at why."

We walk to the dining pavilion together as she recounts the events of the attack in excruciating detail.

I feel a cold hand clamp on my shoulder and I spin around suddenly.

"You're _so _easy to scare," Nico Di Angelo chuckles, wrapping his arms around Alisa's waist.

"Either that or you're just creepy," I laugh in return.

He smirks at me before responding. "Let's eat, I'm starved."

"Wait," I say, putting out a hand to stop the couple. "I need someone to watch the new kid at the infirmary. We don't know how much longer until she wakes up. I need someone there for when she does or she's going to freak out."

Alisa sighs, kisses Nico's cheek quickly and runs off in the direction of the big house.

"Thanks for getting rid of her," Nico says sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"It would have gotten out of hand anyways," I chuckle in response, smirking as his face shifts into a frown. "Let's eat."

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><p><strong>Remember to review! :) Thanks guys!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Another chapter! Huzzah! Sorry, it's still short, but since it's New Years I didn't have much time to write. Too many huge parties to go to ;)**

**Who's ready for 2012? End of the world, am I right? xD**

**Thank you to Cockapoo for her last review and for my sister's character! DOUBLE COOKIES! (: :) (: :)**

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><p>A cold, wet cloth dabs at my forehead. I feel tired and woozy and the antiseptic smells aren't helping my condition. I lift a shaky hand to my forehead. I'm not about to risk opening my eyes, but I might as well find out what has awakened me. I let out a soft groan as my head pounds.<p>

"Thank goodness, you're awake!" exclaims a female voice from behind me.

My eyes flutter open slowly and I stare into the hazel eyes of my captor. A different captor this time. I don't recognise these eyes. These eyes are soft and kind. The other pair was intellectual, full of life. Where has the boy gone?

"We were worried about you. You've been out for a day now," the girl says, her voice dripping with worry as she had said earlier.

"W-who are you? Where am I?" I croak, my voice raw and hoarse.

"This is going to take a while," she sighs, handing me a glass full of a strange golden liquid. "I'll explain later, just drink up."

I stare at it, unmoving, refusing to take it.

_A stranger in a strange place is offering me a strange drink and expecting that I drink it._

"I didn't do anything to it. Here, I'll prove it to you," she says, taking a spoon and spooning some of the liquid out. She slurps it up and practically melts from the taste. She hands the drink back to me, nodding at me to take it.

I take it cautiously, still not entirely trusting the girl with the drink. I put the straw to my lips and risk a taste.

The sensation is indescribable. It has the strange taste of s'mores, catching me off guard slightly. It warms me inside as if I had swallowed a hot water bottle.

Only one thought surfaces. _What is this sorcery?_

I gulp the drink down, hoping that it'll warm the rest of my cold body. Surely, it does, sending strange tingles up my spine.

"Why... why does it..." I trail off, still confused by the amazing yet strange taste of the golden drink.

"It's nectar, the drink of the gods," she says simply, as if it all made sense.

"The... gods?" I ask, still confused.

"Long story short, your human parent fell in love with one of the Greek gods and had you. You're a half-blood," she answers slowly, becoming more and more impatient with the girl who doesn't seem to understand.

"No," I say, eyes wide, refusing to accept the strange words uttered by the strange girl. "They don't exist. They were just something from the Greeks imagination."

The strange girl's hazel eyes widen, and she looks around rapidly to see if anyone heard me speak. Sure enough, we are alone.

"Don't you ever say that here! Imagine what would happen if Dionysus heard you!" she says in a low whisper.

"But―" I attempt as she clamps her hand over her mouth.

"Let me explain before you start trash talking all our parents," she says with a slight chuckle. "The gods were... full of mortal, half-blood children. They were the result of them falling in love with a mortal man or woman. This is a camp for people like us, people with special powers and abilities. We're of their lineage."

She stops for a moment, giving time for her words to sink in. Then, she continues.

"You'll be placed in the Hermes cabin until you are claimed by your godly parent. Then, you will move into their cabin. Most likely, you are a child of one of the smaller gods like Tyche and Hebe, but you may be from one of the twelve, too. I, myself," she says proudly, "Am a child of Apollo, the god of the sun."

"Who's my dad, then?" I ask, still not completely accepting of the story although I have a sudden feeling that it may be true.

"First, I should probably find out what your name is," she says with a slight giggle.

"Layla, and you?"

"Alisa. Now, your skills, abilities and hobbies usually reflect on your parentage. What do you like to do?" she asks.

"Uh... I don't know. I like to run, I guess?"

"Be more descriptive. 'I like to run' could fit any number of different gods."

"I do track and field. I like to draw and I like books. Uhh..." I say, listing things off the top of my head. "I like Italian food. I can spend half the day on Facebook if any of my friends are on."

"Now you're just describing the average teenager. More specific! If you could spend your last moments anywhere, where would it be?"

"Anywhere my mother's not."

Alisa sighs angrily in frustration and I can tell that she'll lose her temper if I don't think of something "descriptive" soon.

"I used to like going skydiving and scuba diving with my friends back in Los Angeles," I add, hoping that that's good enough.

"That points to two gods, Poseidon and Zeus. But no way are you a Big Three kid. There aren't many of those around."

"Big Three?"

"Poseidon, Zues and Hades. Do you have _anything _that could lead us closer to finding out your parent?"

"No."

"Then come with me, I'll get Malcolm to get you settled in the Hermes cabin," she says, sighing slightly. "And, maybe, Nico will have saved me some supper."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I FINALLY got this typed up! I've been wanting to introduce the normal characters for AGES! **

**Thank you to Cockapoo for her reviews! I only update quickly because I'm on break and I've got nothing better to do xD I can't wait for the next chapter of yours too! :D COOKIE! (: :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO. Nor do I own Malcolm, Nico, Clarisse, Chris, Chiron, Dionysus (thank the gods I don't own Dionysus) or Thalia. But, I am Annabeth and so I own myself and Percy. **

**What? How'd Annabeth get on this?**

**Real disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth or Percy. Annabeth owns Percy supposedly... I'll have to talk to her about that. I think Sally owns him.**

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><p>I attempt to get out of bed, but a woozy feeling hits me again. The girl beside me seems to notice it as well because she pushes me back into the bed.<p>

"I'll go get you a wheelchair," she says calmly, almost as if attempting to soothe me. "Be right back."

She steps through a door to my right and reappears a few moments later, wheeling in a silver wheelchair. She drags it to my bedside and helps me into it.

"Feeling comfy?" she asks, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yeah," I answer sarcastically. "Where are we headed?"

"First, I'm going to show you your cabin and then we're going to go make some friends, 'kay?"

She wheels my out onto the porch. She pushes the wheelchair in the direction of a table where two men are playing some sort of card game.

"Mr. D, Chiron, I'd like you to meet our latest camper, Layla," Alisa says, introducing me to the two men.

"Goody, another kid to ruin the peace," says the first man, sighing slightly as he utters the words.

"Nice to meet you too," I murmur under my breath which earns me a small kick in the leg from Alisa.

"It's very nice to meet you, Layla. Don't mind Dionysus here, he's never been much of a happy camper," the other man says, chuckling slightly at his own pun as he wheels his wheelchair around to face me. "Alisa, did you find out anything about the girl's godly parent yet?"

"No, sir. From what I can tell, she could be a child of any number of them. It's up to them to claim her now," Alisa says wearily.

"Oh well, we had a similar issue with Di Angelo, did we not? And look how well he's doing now," Chiron answers, chuckling slightly as Alisa's cheeks redden. "I'm sure you remember the rules about being alone in cabins, am I right? I'll let it slide this time, but I don't want to hear about it again, understood?"

Alisa nods slightly, her face completely red.

"Good, I'll be seeing you around, Layla. Alisa, make sure to introduce her to everyone tomorrow, it's a bit late for that today," the man says, waving as we leave.

As soon as we are out of earshot of the men, I risk a question.

"What was that all about?" I ask, trying not to sound too curious.

"What?" she asks, a bit too smoothly.

"The stuff he said about cabin rules," I say innocently.

"Oh, uhh..." she trails off, her face reddening. "Oh, look. Here's your cabin."

I look up to find a brown building, its paint peeling. Above the door hangs one of those medical symbols, the staff with two snakes curled around it.

"You'll be staying here until you're claimed. Don't leave any of your stuff unattended, though. Hermes is the god of thieves," she says rapidly, attempting to change the subject. "Everyone's at the sing-along right now. We'd better go before they end it."

She runs, pushing me as she goes, towards a large amphitheatre. Hundreds of kids sit around, singing along with the kids on stage. Alisa wheels me over next to a small group in the corner.

"Nico, Malcolm, Annabeth, Thalia, Percy, Marcus, Clarisse and Chris, this is Layla. Take care of her for me; I've got to get onstage before Will kills me for being late. Bye guys!" she kisses the boy named Nico on the cheek, waves at the rest of us and runs towards the stage.

"Marcus!" I exclaim, wheeling my way towards the boy. "You're okay!"

"Of course I am. You didn't think I died, did you?" he laughs.

"You must be Layla. Everyone's been talking about you. We haven't had a lot of new arrivals lately," the girl named Annabeth says.

"Let me introduce us to you. I'm Annabeth, daughter of Athena. This is Percy, my boyfriend and son of Poseidon," she says, pointing to the dark haired and green eyed boy beside her.

"I'm Nico, Alisa's boyfriend and a son of Hades," he interrupts, waving slightly as he pushes the long, dark hair out of his face with a pale hand, revealing his dark eyes.

"This is Thalia, daughter of Zeus and a hunter of Artemis," Annabeth continues, pointing at a goth-looking girl in a silver jacket and matching boots. A silver halo sits upon her black, spiked hair and her eyes are a piercing blue. She gives a soft "Hey" before returning to fiddling with an arrow.

"This is―" she starts but she's cut off by a tough looking girl.

"Clarisse, daughter of Ares and this is Chris, my boyfriend, son of Hermes," she says, her voice tough and scratchy, like that of playground bullies. She's large, larger than any of the others. Her brown hair is held back by an equally large bandanna.

"Of course, you know Marcus," Annabeth continues, glaring at Clarisse and Nico for their interruptions. "He's recently been claimed Athena."

Marcus' smile widens ad he accepts the title.

"And, last but not least, this is Malcolm, another child of Athena," she says, pointing to the grey eyed boy I had seen earlier. He attempts to push his caramel-blonde hair out of his face, but it's no use. It flops back into his eyes and he mutters what sounds like a swear in a strange language.

"Alisa will show you around tomorrow but you're more than welcome to stay with us. Has she gone through the initiation speech?" Annabeth asks, snuggling back into her boyfriend's arms.

"Yeah, I think. Speaking of Alisa, where'd she go?" I ask curiously.

"She's from the Apollo cabin and it's her turn on keyboard for sing-along," Nico explains, pointing to Alisa as she stands behind a keyboard onstage. "And that's her brother, Will," he continues, pointing to the beach-blonde haired boy strumming a guitar and singing.

"You'll like it here," Annabeth continues. "It's safe."


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks Cockapoo for your review! Yes, I made that part especially for you xD Cookie! (: :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters and plot. Everything else goes to Rick Riordan and Percy (supposedly) belongs to Annabeth.**

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><p>"You know what?" Annabeth says as she wheels me over to the cabins. "Why don't you bunk over at my cabin? We've got a few extra beds anyways."<p>

"Why?" I ask, slightly confused. "Why don't I just stay at the Hermes cabin?"

"Well, Hermes is known for stealing..." Percy trails off, rubbing the back of his neck nervously and glancing slightly in Clarisse's direction.

"We're kind of full anyways," Chris adds. I can almost hear Percy sighing inwardly at Chris' comment. Clarisse's boyfriend's cabin doesn't seem like a place you'd want to talk badly about.

"Then it's settled. You'll stay at our cabin," Annabeth smiles.

"Or ours," Alisa adds. "But you'd have to put up with random awakenings due to midnight musical inspiration." Alisa rolls her eyes.

"Hey!" Will counters, laughing slightly. "It's mean to make fun of your brother."

"Half brother, you mean," I correct.

"No, full brother. We're direct siblings," Alisa corrects.

"Really?" I ask in surprise.

"Yeah, Apollo kind of pitied our mother..." she trails off.

"So he came back," Will says, finishing Alisa's sentence for her.

"Like me and my brother," Thalia adds.

"My brother and I," Annabeth corrects, seemingly by force of habit.

"Thanks, Wise Girl," Thalia chuckles.

"Don't call me that," Annabeth counters, punching Thalia playfully on the arm.

"Of course, you let Percy call you that but not us, your best friends. I'm hurt," Nico chuckles sarcastically.

"I'm her boyfriend," Percy says. "I get first dibs on nicknames."

"Good to know, Seaweed Brain," Malcolm counters.

Percy takes Malcolm in a headlock and gives him a playful noogie, not hard enough to hurt but it earns a laugh from his friends.

"Quit it, Percy," Annabeth laughs as she loops her arm through his. "You're messing up his Einstein hair."

"You guys all try to resemble that guy, don't you? The rest of you Athena kids got the brains and he got the hair," Chris laughs.

"I don't care who got what. I'm tired and nobody likes a cranky Ares kid, right?" Clarisse chuckles as she races to her cabin. "Night."

"She scares the shit out of me," Chris says as soon as she's out of earshot, shivering slightly.

"Why are you dating her then?" Nico asks, taking Alisa's hand. Even in the dark, I can see the distaste on Will's face as their fingers intertwine.

"I like the fact that she scares the shit out of me."

"I'll never understand you, Rodriguez."

"Guys?" Alisa says, breaking the short silence that had drifted upon us.

"Yeah?" Nico asks.

"I'm kind of tired. Good night," she yawns.

She wraps her hands around Nico's neck as his hands fall to her hips. Entangling one hand in his hair, she pulls his head downward until her lips reach his. Their lips and tongues form an intricate dance and you can tell that they are both fighting for dominance. She nibbles on his lower lip slightly and you can tell that they are getting carried away when―

"Ahem," Will clears his throat loudly causing the couple to jump. "Let's get to bed, Alisa. We've got a big day tomorrow. Night guys!"

He practically drags her to the Apollo cabin.

"On that awkward note..." Malcolm says, breaking yet another awkward silence.

"I'd better get to bed," Nico chuckles, fiddling with the silver skull ring on his finger nervously before running off.

"So should I," Chris adds.

"We'd better get going," Annabeth agrees.

She pecks Percy's cheek quickly before dragging Malcolm, Marcus and I towards the Athena cabin.

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><p><strong>Remember to R&amp;R! :D<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! I know this is short, but enjoy!**

**Thank you Cockapoo for your review! I'm actually not usually a funny person as most of my friends consider me to be hostile and kind of sullen... Still, when I write I do get a few funny moments onto paper (or in this case, onto Word). I'm glad you liked it! What you'll see in this chapter and in the first one is what and how I usually write (in my own style kind of thing). Cookie! (: :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or any of their characters. I only own Alisa, Marcus and Layla. Also, turns out that both Annabeth AND Sally own Percy. Oh, and Nico says he owns himself... **

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><p>"You can take that bunk," Annabeth says to me, pointing at the bottom bunk of a clean bunk bed. The sheets, walls, desks, beds and everything else is completely grey, like walking into a tub of moonlight.<p>

"Thanks," I yawn. I'm completely exhausted even though I've slept for a day.

She smiles at me and throws me a back pack.

"There are some clothes in there and a toothbrush. There's toothpaste and mouthwash in the bathroom already. Night, Layla," she informs before slipping into one of the bathrooms and locking the door behind her.

I follow her lead, taking my bag and slipping into another bathroom. I go through the bag and find a pair of fleece sweatpants and a baggy hoodie. As I slip into them, I take a look in the mirror.

I look as if I hadn't slept in days. Dark rings circle my eyes and my hair looks like a rats nest. I attempt to tame it but I'm sure that that can only be achieved after a shower, which I am not in the mood to take now.

I'm so tired that I ignore the toothbrush in my bag and step out of the bathroom.

"You look tired," I hear a deep yet sweet voice say.

I turn suddenly, bumping into Malcolm. His hair is wet, flopping yet again into his grey eyes. He attempts to fix it by wrapping it in a towel, but it isn't helping. He simply resorts to attempting to dry it.

"Get some rest," he laughs. "I'll get you settled in tomorrow. Be awake by six tomorrow morning and you'll catch breakfast. Night."

He slips into the bunk above mine, throwing down a few of his extra pillows before finally settling down.

I slip into my own bunk but I can't sleep. I flip around in my bed, annoyed by the whirring sound of Smart Boards and laptops that were left on.

Still, I know this isn't what's keeping me awake.

I doze off somewhere in between midnight and one AM.

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><p>I feel a cold draft rushing over me, dampness in the air I breathe. Pushing myself upwards and onto my feet, I find myself in a strange, stone corridor. It's so old that the walls look as if they were about to break and the ceiling looks as if it is going to cave in.<p>

My hand reaches involuntarily to the wall and I feel the cold underneath my outstretched fingers. I keep my hand there, sucking the cold from the wall and into my own body.

_What am I doing? Why am I here?_

As if cued by my thoughts, my head turns in both directions, seeing only the vast expanse of the tunnels and nothing else. The cold draft settles over my shoulders once more, stealing what little warmth I had within me.

I search for something, anything, but my eyes are blind to anything but the wretched walls and the stone ceiling. There is no life around me.

Wondering what has happened, I turn to my left. I know that I won't be helping myself by simply standing here and I know equally that I won't be helping myself by running. Still, I run.

My life depends on this small source of freedom, the sensation of the wind through my hair and the ground leaving my feet as I am weightless for certain moments.

My head pounds, but I am completely ignorant of it as I race down the tunnels.

The lights from the lanterns on the wall flicker, leaving strange shadows upon the walls.

Then realization hits me.

_I am scared and alone._

The thought rocks me to my core, throwing me off the edge. My knees buckle and I hit the ground, scraping my legs on the rough, jagged rock of the tunnel. I curl into the fetal position, tucking in my chin until my eyes see only my scraped and scarred knees. I wrap my arms underneath my legs, tucking them in further until I am in a ball.

Attempting to soothe myself, I play gently with my fingers, hoping that I will be found, somehow.

Still, there is nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Then, from nowhere, I pick up on something.

A soul.

Whether human, animal or monster.

It's a soul.

Something to cling to.


	13. Chapter 13

**BUA HA HA! Guess what? My best friend who I haven't seen in two years is coming here for the holidays! Yay! So excited!**

**Also, you might notice that this chapter does have some hints towards a romance between Layla and Malcolm. Just so you know, Malcolm was the character chosen by Cockapoo and he will be appearing more and more often throughout the story. Possibly more than any of the other characters (except Alisa of course). ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, only my personal characters and my plot. Annabeth and Sally are probably going to have a court battle over who owns Percy. And Nico is still owning himself. **

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><p>"Are you okay?" Malcolm's voice asks, awakening me from my nightmare.<p>

My skin is damp with sweat. The nightmare has triggered a migraine and my skin burns. I'm still in so much shock that my voice doesn't seem to work and neither do my movements.

"Let's take a walk," he offers, pulling me gently off the bed and into the wheelchair.

He wraps a warm blanket over my shoulders and pushes me outside into the cold night air.

"Let's go to the Big House," he suggests. "It'll be warm there. They've got a fire and I can get you some hot chocolate."

I nod in response, my throat still not functioning properly.

He pushes me into the Big House's main room and helps me out of my wheelchair and onto the much softer couch. He rewraps the blanket around my shoulders and sets one over my legs. He then disappears shortly into a room next door, returning with two mugs.

He sits on the couch next to me and hands me a mug.

It's warm, returning some of the warmth the dream had taken from me. I pull it to my lips, my hands shaking slightly as I do so.

"What happened?" he asks soothingly, resting his mug on the coffee table.

I lift my eyes from my drink and up to his. Our eyes meet, grey to brown, and I look down again suddenly.

I watch as his hand slowly enters my line of vision and stops under my chin. He lifts it slightly, forcing my eyes to meet his once more.

"I can't help you unless you tell me," he insists, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please."

I almost break down at that very moment. I feel the sobs forcing their way through and I am so weak that I allow them to escape. A loud shattering sound makes its way to my ears as the mug of hot chocolate hits the floor.

"It's okay, calm down," he says, putting his arm around my shoulders.

I lift my hands to my eyes, covering them, hoping that he cannot see the weakness and despair within them. I pull myself yet again into the fetal position, dragging my legs into my body.

"You'll be okay," he whispers soothingly into my ear.

I take in his words, hoping that they'll help me calm down.

_You'll be okay. You'll be okay._

I force myself to stop the sobs and pull myself out of the tightly wound ball I have made of my body. I attempt to sit up straight as well, but that's already pushing the boundaries. I lay my head on Malcolm's shoulder, taking in his warmth as a replacement of mine.

"What's wrong?" he repeats.

"T-there wa-was a t-t-tunnel," I start, speaking in between the returning sobs.

"And?"

"I-I w-wa-was t-t-trapped s-so I r-r-r-ran."

He rubs my shoulder gently, sending more warmth into my body.

"And then?" he continues.

"N-n-nothing. I w-was t-trapped and a-alo-alone," I continue, the sobs beginning to die down once more.

"Oh, Layla. You'll be okay," he says, soothing me once more.

The sobs die down completely and I begin to doze off once more. But this time I feel safe. Safe and sound.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! Again, this is SUPER short! Sorry!**

**Thank you to xpig-in-the-skyx for your review! :D Yes, I hate how few times they actually make appearances... I would prefer that R.R. show more of them... :) And yes, you are VERY close ;) COOKIE! (: :)**

**And also, thank you to Cockapoo, as always, for her review! :D Thank you, I also have a fondness for the last chapter ;) COOKIE! (: :)**

**Disclaimer: I am Zeus. Between my siblings, children and I, we own everything. :)**

**Whaaaa? Where are all these random people coming from?**

**Real disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters and my plot. I also own my dog, and my laptop, and my cookies, and my fire extinguisher, and my pet monkey...**

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><p>"Layla?" A soft, female voice asks.<p>

"What?" I groan softly, turning in bed until my brown eyes meet grey ones.

"Breakfast," Annabeth says, yanking me out of bed. "C'mon!"

"Nyaaaah," I groan again, turning my back to her.

"Let's go, sleepyhead," she says, attempting to pull me out of bed. "It's not good to be late for breakfast on your first day."

Although I put up a good fight, the girl has trained longer than I have, making her many times stronger. She manages to drag me out of my bed and dump me in my wheelchair.

"Go get dressed, I'll wait for you," she instructs, placing a set of clean clothes into my lap. "Go!"

I wheel my way into one of the bathrooms and change. The shirt is a simple orange t-shirt, the words "Camp Half-Blood" written in simple font on it. I pull that on, followed shortly by the simple black yoga pants.

I step outside and Annabeth looks me up and down.

"Shoes," she says simply, going through a chest at the edge of her bed.

She tosses me a pair of blue Nike trainers and I catch them easily.

"You can wear these for now," she says to me, turning back in my direction. "Although there's not much you can do. Chiron wants you to stay in that wheelchair until tomorrow, at the least."

I groan. I'm sick and tired of this wheelchair. Sick and tired of having to depend on people all day.

"It's only a day," she adds, slipping her own pair of trainers on her feet. "You wouldn't have done much on your first day, anyways."

I still sigh, completely unconvinced of the fact that I'd actually need this wheelchair for another whole day.

"If it makes you feel any better, Percy was out cold for a week," she adds.

"Was he allowed to walk freely?" I ask.

"Well..."

"I thought so."

"But Percy was different. He was forced straight into training because of a quest. He didn't have time to recover."

"I need to train too."

"Yes, but he barely got in a month of training. He had two gods, scratch that, two of the Big Three on his tail, and he had to recover a powerful weapon. His case was different."

I sigh in frustration, knowing that there is no way that I'm going to beat this girl in a debate. Pulling the socks and shoes onto my feet, I fall back into the wheelchair. Annabeth pushes me onto the porch and down the wheelchair ramp.

"I'm going to go make sure Percy's up. This means a little detour," she says as she pushes me in the direction of the Poseidon cabin.

"Can't he wake up himself?" I ask out of curiosity.

"He and his cousin, Nico, sleep like rocks. They don't get off their asses until I throw them on the ground. Since I'm _so_ not doing that to Nico, I'll just do it to Percy instead," she says, smiling as she does so.

I crack a smile, too, as she pushes me to the porch of the Poseidon cabin. She puts a finger to her lips, silencing me, before stepping into the room. I wait there in silence until―

"Gods, Annabeth! Of course, throw your boyfriend off the edge of the top bunk, will you! Jeez. Do you know how much that hurts?" Percy shouts angrily but his anger soon subsides. "I'll get dressed."

Annabeth steps outside, giggling at Percy's reaction.

"Do you do that every morning?" I ask in awe.

"Nope, only on special days. He's going to help us find you a weapon so he needs to wake up early," she explains.

"What do you do to him on normal days?"

"On normal days, he can sleep 'till noon for all I care."

We laugh until Percy steps out of his cabin, changed and ready to go.

"You throw me off a bunk bed and now you're laughing at me behind my back?" he asks jokingly. "Tsk, tsk."

"You're one to talk," she laughs in return, linking her arm with his. "You kicked me off of Zeus' fist last summer!"

"Accidentally."

"Uh-huh."

"Let's go, Wise Girl," Percy suggests, pushing me down the ramp and towards the diving pavilion.

We walk in silence, meeting up with the rest of the crew as we go.

"They still haven't guessed who your parent is?" Will asks as we walk.

"Of course not," Alisa answers. "You don't have any... distinguishing hobbies."

"Well, guessing Percy's wasn't easy either," Annabeth chuckles.

"Nor was guessing Nico's," Thalia adds.

"But Will and Alisa's were obvious," Percy points out. "We knew the two of them were music freaks from the moment we met them. Didn't Alisa cross the border listening to her iPod?"

"You should be claimed today, though," Alisa says, glaring slightly at Percy.

I sigh loudly. "What are the chances?"

"Three in five demigods get claimed on their first day of camp," Chris informs, worriedly.

"But she wasn't even awake for most of her first day," Annabeth counters.

"I don't even understand why you guys care so much," Clarisse says, rolling her eyes. "I'm gonna go eat."

We watch as she races off, before returning to the argument at hand.

"I agree with Annabeth, she wasn't awake for her first day and it would have been pointless to claim her then," Marcus points out. "She wouldn't have noticed."

"I don't really care," I sigh. "They abandoned me with my mother. I don't think I'd be too fond of him no matter who he is."

"You have to understand, they couldn't stay, Layla. It's not their fault," Annabeth says soothingly, rubbing my shoulders gently.

"It is their fault," I retort. "Whoever it is left my mother! It drove her completely insane! I've never even met him so what makes them think I'll be proud to call him my father?"

That sure shut everybody up.

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><p><strong>JK! I don't own a monkey... yet. xD <strong>

**Remember to R&R!**


	15. Chapter 15

**HEEEEEELLLLOOOOO! xD Don't worry! I WILL find a creative way to get her claimed. Soon.**

**Also, 'cause I'm curious, I was wondering who your "godly parent" would be if you were a demigod. I, for one, am like THE ULTIMATE daughter of Athena. It's in my blood. My dad's side is JUST engineers and science people and my mums side is JUST historians, history people and writers. I caught on with my mums side while my sis' caught my dad. :D**

**Thank you to kyvetprevet for their review! :D Thanks! I actually don't have a full out plot prepped yet... xD Cookie! (: :)**

**Thanks for your review, Faith! I PROMISE TO UPLOAD EVERY DAY UNTIL JANUARY 9th (I have to go back to school)... :D Cookie! (: :)**

**Thanks xpig-in-the-skyx! I'm sorry, my meanness when it comes to things like this can become unbearable... I enjoy teasing my readers whenever I write... xD Don't worry, she'll be claimed soon! Cookie! (: :)**

**Thank you Anon! I will give you more, especially now that I know that people are looking forward to it ;) Cookie! (: :)**

**Thanks Cockapoo! I thought of that the moment you described the character. I was like "That's the kind of person who'd cross the border listening to an iPod" then a friend of mine came over and she was like "OMG if I were a demigod, I'd just cross the border with my iPod like a boss and be like 'Hey guys.'" xD Don't worry, my iPod is my life, even if I'm a child of Athena. Yes, I always pictured Big Three kids as heavy sleepers, idk why... xD Cookie! (: :)**

**Disclaimer: I am Athena. I own ALL!**

**Why me? Why do _I _have to be the one who gets hacked by the gods? WHYYYYY?**

**Real disclaimer: I own nothing except my own characters and plot. Annabeth lost the court battle so now Sally owns Percy. Annabeth owns herself and Nico keeps complaining that his father is overprotective. **

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><p>I sit at the edge of the Athena cabin table, nibbling on a piece of toast. I watch Malcolm eagerly, hoping to find something in his eyes. An explanation.<p>

Yet I find nothing, just the regular eagerness and the hint of worry that are always visible in his eyes.

I have the urge to ask him about last night. I want to ask him what happened and why.

He'd probably never be able to explain... and, just maybe, he doesn't understand it himself.

I return to my toast, my eyes watching my hands as they fiddle with the slice of bread. Its gone cold but I don't notice. I'm too distracted.

"Something wrong?" Annabeth asks worriedly from beside me.

"N-no," I respond, mentally kicking myself for stuttering.

"Okay, if you're sure," she answers, the worry still evident in her voice, as she returns to her oatmeal and the book in her hand.

Something... something about last night, still... confuses me. The way the boy seemed so... different. He seemed... calm, the bits of worry in his eyes gone if only for those few moments.

Still, I'd never ask him about it. The way he's been avoiding me, not entering the conversation the group had earlier and how he won't meet my eyes, just show me that he doesn't want to talk about it.

Then again, do _I _even want to talk about it myself?

_No, it'd be easier just to let it pass._

We're dismissed shortly afterward, everyone else heading to their own activities as I accompany Annabeth and Percy.

"We should get you some armour and a weapon first and then we'll give you a bit of a tour around camp," Percy says as Annabeth pushes me along.

"What kind of weapon will I be given?" I ask curiously.

"Usually, you'll receive a sword but there are exceptions to this. Apollo kids usually use bows and Ares campers will use just about anything. We've won wars with Ares campers using _chairs_ to knock out monsters."

"_Chairs?_"

"Yes, _chairs._"

We arrive at the armoury about fifteen minutes later. Annabeth helps me up as I attempt to stand on my own two feet. We walk in and I am in shock at the sheer amount of weapons in the place.

Swords, knives, daggers, spears and bows cover the wall in an amazing display.

"A lance? Really?" I ask, pointing at the pointed wood and metal object on the wall.

"I didn't know we had one of those," Percy says, taking the object off the wall and holding it in the light. "It's kind of cool. I wish I had one of these when we did those chariot races in my second year. You could knock a few kids off a chariot with one of these."

"Don't be silly," Annabeth says, rolling her eyes as she takes the weapon from his hands and hangs it back up on the wall. "We haven't trained anybody with these since the renaissance period. Nobody knows how to use them and they'd be awful in hand-to-hand combat. You're so easy to distract. Let's find Layla a weapon."

"I'm ADHD, I'm _supposed _to be 'easy to distract,'" he says, making quotation marks in the air as he says the last three words. "Anyways, we'll hand you a few swords and get you to test them out. Just hold it and give it a swing, okay?"

He hands me a sword. It's about a meter long and beautifully carved with small shapes, resembling flowers, etched into the blade.

I attempt to hold it up, but it's too heavy.

"Too large," Annabeth says, studying my stance. "Try something smaller. How about this?" she asks, handing me a smaller blade.

I take it but the handle is too small and my fingers don't all fit.

We try almost every weapon in the building, even that lance, but none of it works.

I sigh in frustration, slumping to the floor.

"Well, I guess you'll have to get one made for you," Percy says sighing. "And I've got to get to archery before the Apollo kids notice I'm missing."

"Good luck in archery, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth giggles, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "Try not to kill Nico and Thalia while you're at it."

"That is, of course, if Nico doesn't kill me first," he responds, sighing. "He's a worse shot than I am, if that's even possible."

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><p><strong>Note: I wrote this because I have NEVER been able to find a weapon myself (my sister does fencing, my father did archery, my mother did martial arts and fencing) and its driven me up the wall for ages. Until, like a few weeks ago, I discovered that I do well with smaller swords (fencing)... xD This is why I wrote this. To keep myself from feeling bad. xD<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi guys! I was going to upload this earlier but the power went out in my area so I didn't get to update until now... Sorry! **

**Still, I got it up! Yay! Also, she gets claimed in this chapter! BUA HA HA!**

**Cockapoo thank you for your review as usual! :D The chairs thing is actually a true story... My friends and I decided to have a random "Ninja battle" at school and all we had was chairs... xD**

**Thanks Faith! Also, there is no "awkwardness." I mean that he's avoiding her after the events of the last night. It sounds awkward if you attempt to explain to friends why you and a friend of yours (especially if you're of opposite genders) disappeared last night at like three am. It's just awkward. That's where the awkwardness is from... :)**

**Thank you xpigs-in-the-skyx! That was also a personal memory. I also sleep like a rock and they always had to find new and creative ways to wake me up when I went to camp in the summer. Some genius had the idea to throw me off the edge (and I slept top bunk, too!) at five am to get me to wake up. I ended up with my arm in a cast and she ended up with a black eye. "All's fair in love and war," right? xD**

**Disclaimer: I have lost count of the millions of court battles we've got so now I'm simply going to say that I own nothing. -.- *sigh***

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><p>"Don't worry," Annabeth says, noticing the worried look evident on my face. "You know Nico? He had to make his own weapon. Same problem you had."<p>

"But he's different. He's Big Three," I respond.

"You don't know what you are. You could be one of them for all we know."

"What are the chances? There aren't many of them out here."

"There will always be that one-in-a-million. They always say the same thing."

"I suppose."

"Listen, we've got Capture the Flag this afternoon. Most people discover their powers then. With powers come hints at your godly parent. If you haven't been claimed already, that is."

I smile weakly, hoping she'll let the subject drop.

"I'll show you around then," she says, smiling.

She pushes me around, showing me everything, where it is, what it's for and the risks.

"Wait, your rock climbing wall spits lava and has avalanches?" I ask in awe.

"Uh, yeah," she answers, as if it would be obvious.

"That is _so freaking __**awesome!**_" I smile.

"I suppose. It's one of our most popular. Want to test it out?"

"Oh my god. Can I?"

"Of course. It's here for you to train with."

I put on the harness and Annabeth clips me to it.

"Belay?" I ask, preparing myself to climb.

"Belay on," Annabeth responds.

"Climb?"

"Climb on."

At first, I climb up the wall with ease, scaling it as I always have back in California. I pull myself upward, my hands and feet finding invisible crevices in the wall.

"I'm going to set it to avalanche mode," Annabeth warns, flicking a few switches on the dashboard. "Try to stay calm, freaking out won't help you."

I watch as a few rocks begin to slide down the edge.

"That's it?" I ask, turning to look at her. She flicks a few switches, smirking up at me.

"Ready for an avalanche?" she asks.

"Oh yeah."

She flicks one more switch and then I spot it. There, on the right edge of the climbing wall, is a _huge _boulder as well as a few smaller ones, hanging on the edges.

I look downward, an accusing stare forming in Annabeth's direction. My eyes convey one simple message, _"is this legal?"_

Nodding towards the boulders, Annabeth's eyes snap me back to attention. I'll get through this.

I climb quickly upwards, practically scrambling upwards. Taking some of my rope, I lasso a large rock far above me, using this as a faster way to reach the top. The rocks begin to fall although I shield myself by laying myself flat against the surface of the wall.

Once the avalanche has ended, I return to climbing up the rock wall, stopping every so often to avoid the oncoming and random avalanches.

After about half an hour of doing this, I reach the top, swinging myself over the edge. I lay flat on my back, attempting to catch my breath.

About five minutes later, Annabeth joins me.

"You did well for a first-timer," she says in awe. "I've actually never been willing to send a newbie up the wall in avalanche mode."

"Really?" I ask. "It wasn't that hard."

"You had a strategy," Annabeth points out. "Most people just try to scramble up the wall as fast as they can."

"Can I try it in lava mode?" I ask excitedly.

"No, too dangerous. We've got senior counsellors who can't reach the top."

"Fine."

We climb back down quickly.

"Oh my gods!" Annabeth shrieks suddenly.

"What?" I ask, my voice full of confusion.

"Oh my gods. Oh my gods," she repeats, dragging me towards the canoe lake. "Oh my gods."

"_What?" _I ask, still wondering what could possibly be wrong.

What really scares me is that Annabeth doesn't seem like the kind of person who would be easily spooked, especially not to this point.

She continues to mutter the words under her breath as she drags me. She's running so fast that the trip to the canoe lake that would originally take fifteen minutes, has taken only five.

"Percy!" she shouts at the black haired boy as he paddles around the canoe lake.

"What?" he asks, his voice dripping with annoyance. Then he sees me and his reaction is almost equal to Annabeths. "Nico's gonna to freak."

"_What?"_ I ask for what feels like the millionth time.

Annabeth points a shaking finger over my head.

I look above my head and my reaction is almost as bad as theirs.

"What the _hell _is this?" I ask, swatting at the dark skull shape floating above my head.

"Layla, daughter of Hades," Percy explains. "As I said before, Nico's gonna to freak."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello! Sorry I didn't get to update for a bit of a while... Again, the power here in my area has been going down a lot lately. This means that my wifi provider goes down too. I'm SOOOOO SORRRYYYYYY!**

**Thanks kyvetprevet! I HAVE UPDATED! :D COOKIE! (: :)**

**Yes Cockapoo... Nico has officially freaked out xD Thanks! (: :)**

**xpig-in-the-skyx I know you knew... But I couldn't say anything without ruining it so I just said that you were close... :) Still you're like the one person who actually picked up on any of the clues (or at least said anything about it). I'm actually pretty surprised 'cause I had left so many of them out there... Like since the first few sentences... xD Thanks! You'll get Nico's reaction in this one... xD (: :)**

**Sorry, she sounds a bit like a Mary-Sue in this chapter... I'M SO SORRY! I hate Mary-Sue's too but it seemed fitting... Just for now. I'll try never to make her Mary-Sue like ever again! I PROMISE! :)**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything. Oh, Nico? You're dad says his lawyer refused to actually start a court battle for something so trivial. You can own yourself...**

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><p>Malcolm's P.O.V<p>

"No," Nico shouts, clamping his hands over his ears and pulling his hair out with his hands. "No, no, no, no, NO!"

"Nico, we get it. We've all gone through this," Percy says, trying to keep him from destroying his cabin.

"NO! You don't get it!" He shouts back. "I can't _STAND_ another sibling! I've lost too many. You don't know how it feels, Percy! You've never had to watch your family die! You don't have nightmares every night, just replaying their deaths over and over again! YOU DON'T GET IT!"

He punches the ground so hard that it leaves a huge, smouldering hole. He lifts his hand and stares at the blood now starting to pool at his knuckles.

"Nico, please!" I shout at him, taking his wrists to keep him from punching anything else. "I lost half my cabin in the war and I'm not punching holes in the floor!"

"It-It's different," Nico answers sounding slightly unsure.

"Nico, she already feels bad about it! It's not even her fault but she's bawling her eyes out! You're just being a selfish piece of―" I shout but I'm cut off by a hand on my shoulder. I turn to see Percy, shaking his head.

"Don't push his limits," Percy whispers to me. "Let's go, it'll give him time to cool down."

I nod sadly and step out of the cabin with Percy.

"You should talk to Layla," Percy says. "I'll come with you."

We walk over to the Athena cabin where Annabeth is trying to calm Layla down.

"Do you know how they're doing?" I ask.

"No, Annabeth hasn't IMed me yet," he answers. "I guess they haven't had any luck yet."

Percy knocks on the door and Annabeth opens it a crack. She looks wearily at Percy and shakes her head sadly.

"No luck?" Percy asks.

"Not at all," Annabeth answers.

I can hear Layla's quiet sobs coming from the cabin as Alisa trying to calm her down.

"Can we come in?" I ask.

"I wouldn't recommend it," Annabeth says sadly. "She's not too... stable."

"Please Annabeth!" I beg.

"No, I can't let you―" she says, getting cut off as I try to push my way in. "Malcolm, I can't let you in!" she shouts.

I pull my sword and hold it to her neck. "Let me through!" I shout.

"No, I refuse!" she shouts, knowing I wouldn't actually hurt her.

"Please!"

She sighs angrily and steps aside, letting me in.

I step in to see Layla, sitting her wheelchair, hands covering her eyes, her body curled into the fetal position, sobbing quietly. I place a hand on her shoulder and she slowly lifts her eyes, searching my face for a moment.

"It's no use," Alisa whispers to me. "We've tried everything."

"Can I try?" I ask.

"Sure," Annabeth nods. "But what are you going to do?"

"I'll just go for a walk."


	18. Chapter 18

**HELLLLOOOOO! Guess what (sarcasm)? I'm going back to school tomorrow... Yay... -.-**

**You know what this means, huh? I wont be updating as often (*sobs wildly into sleeve*)... But this also means that I'll be able to pick up more awesome mythology from my Social Studies teacher... HUZZAH!**

**I totally agree, Cockapoo... I actually added that line (kind of) into this chapter because I loved your review so much! :D (When Big Three's lose their temper, duck and cover! xD) (: :)**

**Thanks Faith! :D (: :)**

**xD Anon, I kind of explained it (sort of) in the last chapter and went a bit more in depth (sort of) in this one... xD (: :)**

**xpig-in-the-skyx, I agree. He still doesn't seem to have gotten over Bianca which is why I feel he needs one... :) (: :)**

**GLN3 thanks! When I first wrote this I wasn't actually expecting anybody to even read it let alone review! xD (: :)**

**Disclaimer: Nico, your dad wants to talk to you and he doesn't seem happy. Annabeth, Sally has decided to drop the case and let you own Percy (she also says she is not responsible for any tsunamis, earthquakes or random ranting that may have been caused by him or being in this presence). Clarisse, your dad wants to see you and he looks mad (then again, when is he _not _looking mad?). **

**Oh yeah, I don't own PJO... YET!**

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><p>"Layla, it's not your fault," Malcolm says calmly to me.<p>

"But it is," I retort, my weeping becoming anger at a moment's notice. "If I hadn't shown up here none of this would have happened. I ruined his freaking life!"

"No, you didn't. If you've got anybody to blame, it's Hades."

"No, it's not. If I hadn't run away from home I wouldn't have put Nico through this. It's unfair to him and it's all my fault. If I hadn't been so foolish―"

"You would've been stupid to have stayed at home. You would've been killed eventually and it would've been worse because then Nico would have yet another dead sibling. That's the only reason why he's taking this so badly. He just doesn't want to lose another one of you, especially not another sister."

"W-what happened to his l-last sister?"

"Well," he sighs. "She went on a quest... and... well..."

"Yeah?"

"She was killed by one of Hephaestus' inventions. He still blames Percy for it."

"Why Percy?"

"Percy had promised to take care of her and keep her safe. Then she died and Nico thinks it's his fault. And that's why he isn't taking it well. He just doesn't want to become attached to someone and then watch them die on him."

"Oh..."

"See? It's not your fault."

"I suppose."

"Let's go back," he says. "Everyone'll be worried if we just disappear like this."

He pushes me back to the Athena cabin and up the ramp onto the porch.

"Okay now?" Alisa asks. I nod slightly.

"Then I suppose I'll leave you and Annabeth to talk," she says, leaving the cabin.

**...**

Malcolm's P.O.V

"How did you...?" he trails off in bewilderment.

"Logic," I answer, smirking.

"Why didn't you try that on Nico?"

"Logic doesn't work on Nico. Murdering floors works on Nico."

"I am going to carry you around with me, if you don't mind. Maybe you can talk some sense into Annabeth when she's pissed."

"Nah, there's no talking sense into Annabeth when she's pissed. You're better off just letting her vent it off alone. There is nothing scarier than an angry Annabeth."

"Actually, there's nothing scarier than an angry Big Three kid."

"True, true."

"Although seriously, dude, you're a miracle worker. Usually, especially with Hades kids, it's _impossible _to calm them down."

"You just have to talk some sense into them."


	19. Chapter 19

**HELLO! I'm SO SORRY it took so long to update... It's just that with school and stuff, I haven't had much time for writing... SORRY!**

**Cockapoo, I will be SURE to have more AlisaxNico and LaylaxMalcolm but I've got a few things to sort through first... I'll add a bit of that into the next chapters! PROMISE! I love fluff too... xD Thanks! (: :)**

**GLN3 I will get them together! I PROMISE I WILL! I've gotten a few comments about it so I'll introduce them as a couple soon! :D (: :)**

**Thanks Faith! Yeah, I know my updates are usually short. I've sorted things out (sort of) between Nico and Layla so I can kind of move on now. Kind of. xD (: :)**

**Thanks guys for all the support. My original plan was to make this a short little story, maybe 20 chapters. But, you know what? Since I've actually got people who like it (which is a shock to me since I've never written anything before) I'll keep going with it! :D Thanks again guys! **

**Disclaimer: I am Aphrodite, I own all. I also own Helen and Paris. They were SO CUTE! Why couldn't they keep them together? Why do MY favorite couples get ripped apart? At least I've got Layla and Malcolm. They seem to promise a bit of action... :)**

**WHY AND HOW DO THESE IMMORTALS GET ON MY COMPUTER?**

**REAL Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Clarisse, your dad still looks pissed. Maybe you should go talk to him before he blows up... **

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><p>I know that although the boy's have calmed him down, I will never be accepted by Nico. Yet, at the same time, I can't say I'll ever accept him as a brother either. I know that it's not his fault but, after having lost my brother, I can't say that finding out about a new one will be that great for me. If anything, I'll just push him away. I know I can't take the hurt of having him around, especially since he's younger than me.<p>

I find, however, that this may just be unfair to him. Maybe I'm being childish and I should just suck it up. It's been nearly fifteen years since my brother's disappearance. I should have gotten over it by now; I should have just accepted it. But to this day I still hear the small voice, feel his small hands in mine. Since the day at the ice-cream shop, I can even see his face. I remember full memories now and they hurt more than anyone could ever imagine.

These memories, things as simple as a walk in the park to as complicated and full of worry as my mother's attacks on the two of us, threaten my sanity as well as my physical wellbeing. I just hope I don't get one of these memory attacks during something important like capture the flag. I just hope they stop.

It's these fears, these fears of memory as well as of rejection, which separate me from Nico. These are the "what if's" that currently complicate life.

"Sorry," Nico mumbles to me from across the table. Although we weren't happy with it, camp rules dictated that I had to sit at my own table. This meant sitting with Nico.

"Pardon me?" I ask, wondering if what I just heard could possibly be real. Did he actually just apologize for this? None of it's his fault so why is he apologizing.

"Sorry," he repeats. "For earlier. I shouldn't have freaked like that."

"I-It's fine," I say, my voice cracking. "Not your fault."

"But it is," he continues. "I shouldn't have flipped. It's just that..."

"I know. I heard about... her."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry for your loss. I know how it feels. Truly."

He looks down at his food, picking at it slowly.

"She was all I had left after mom died," he sighs, refusing to make eye contact with me.

"My brother disappeared although I know he's dead. He was the only reason I kept living, only reason I tolerated my mother. I knew, one day, I would avenge his death. Somehow. So I stuck around at home, survived my drunk mother for years until I knew I wouldn't last much longer. So I ran and turned up here," I tell him, almost crying by the time I'm done.

"I'm sorry. I never knew."

"Most don't, it's okay. I hope you don't mind keeping it to yourself. I don't want anyone to know, it's kind of private."

"Yeah, I get it. I don't tell many people about Bianca either. Only the people who were around at the time know about her."

"It must be hard for you. But don't blame Percy; it's hard on him too."

"Yeah, I know. But, when you watch someone die... it's hard. You find someone to blame just to keep your mind off the fact that it was your fault. It's like... passing the blame so you don't have to face it yourself," he says, his eyes lifting to mine again before dropping them back downward. "I know it's my fault in reality. I bugged her so much that she became a huntress and went with them on the quest even if she knew the risks. I was stupid for letting her. I was so stupid."

"No," I say calmly. "You couldn't have done anything. She would have gone either way. It was her choice. But I know what you mean about blame. I've always blamed my mom even if I knew it was my fault. I had snapped at her for hitting him and I guess she abandoned him somewhere because of it. She wouldn't let me call the police or anything but I tried. Every time I called they gave me the same answer. They said he didn't exist and that there was nobody by that name. Eventually, I stopped calling but to this day I haven't given up. I'll always look for him."

I stare down at my food, no longer hungry. I leave Nico behind as I head over to the Hades cabin.

"I saw you talking to Nico," Alisa says, panting slightly from running after me. I stop, surprised, and turn slowly around to see her.

"Hey, Alisa," I say, attempting to keep my voice steady and trying futilely to keep her from noticing the tears that still fall down my face.

"Stop changing the subject," she laughs before noticing my bloodshot eyes. "Have you been... crying? Again?"

"No," I say, mentally patting myself on the back for not stammering or stumbling with my words.

"Don't lie to me," she says, stepping closer. "I can tell that you've been crying and there's no denying it. You look like you've just come back from a funeral."

"I've got to go..." I trail off.

"I'll go with you," she says.

"I'm going to my cabin," I continue, hoping she'll leave me alone.

"I'll come too," she insists.

"Nico's coming later so we can get ready for capture the flag."

"I've been in Hades cabin with Nico before. It's nothing new. He's my boyfriend, by the way."

"Dammit! Don't you know how to leave someone alone?" I snap.

"Jeez," she answers, slightly shocked at my outburst. "I'm just trying to help. But you know what? You can go rot in Hades for all I care!"

I watch as she stomps off.

_What have I done? I'm so STUPID!_

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><p><strong>DON'T WORRY! THINGS WILL TURN OUT OKAY! I PROMISE! :)<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

**HEEEEEELLLLLLLO! Now that I'm not AS swamped with homework, I am here to upload! YAY! Also, this is A LOT longer than what I USUALLY write... Don't get used to it xD**

**When stressed, sit down and write. It's the most de-stressing thing EVER! :D See, I (of all people) failed my science test... 84% NOOOOOOOO! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! :( I feel like I'm about to cry... **

**Thank you Cockapoo! I LOVE your story too and I CAN'T WAIT until you update! (: :)**

**I actually did that purposely, GLN3. xD I like writing "intense" things... Also, the Hades joke was also done on purpose... My friend suggested it. xD**

**Disclaimer: I sincerely don't own ANYTHING. Or do I? xD JK I don't own anything...**

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><p>"I'm such a freaking idiot!" I shout, punching anything I can get my hands onto. "Such an IDIOT!"<p>

"Well don't kill me," Nico says, eyes the size of dinner plates and his arms in a defensive position over his chest. "What's up with you? You were all... calm at dinner."

"It's nothing."

"When a girl says it's nothing, it's definitely something. Spill."

"Nothing's wrong."

"Uh-huh," he says, still not believing me. "Trust me, you'll spill eventually."

"No I won't," I mumble to myself before turning to Nico. "Wait. What am I supposed to use? I don't have a weapon."

"Here," he says, tossing me a short, thin black sword. "Use this one. It's good for beginners and should help you. It's lethal though so don't touch the blade."

"Sure," I say, taking the sword and swinging it around. I hadn't seen anything quite like it, black and sleek with strange, Greek words sketched into its side.

"What's it say?" I ask Nico curiously, forgetting my past issues.

"Skoteiní̱ Omorfiá," he says nonchalantly, slipping his breastplate over his head. "It means 'dark beauty' in Greek."

"Cool," I say, pushing it back into its scabbard and attaching the scabbard to my belt. I pull on my combat boots, a warm hoodie and a pair of sweatpants.

"You aren't _seriously _going out like that, are you?" Nico asks incredulously.

"Yeah, I don't have much of a choice. I don't have any armour yet," I answer. "It's not like I'd need any anyways. It's not like anyone's going to hurt me, right?"

"Ehh..."

"I hope you're kidding. There's no maiming is there?"

"Not any _serious _maiming. But it leaves a few bad scars if you're wondering."

"Is this legal?"

"Does it matter?"

"Guess not."

I step outside, sitting on the porch, waiting for Nico.

"Layla?" Malcolm asks as he walks by, completely covered in armour.

"Yeah?" I ask, looking up at him.

"You need armour," he says. "We're going against the Hunters of Artemis and they are _not _an enemy you want."

"I don't have any."

"You were supposed to get fitted for it today. You know, with Annabeth?"

"It was all too heavy. I didn't even find a sword."

"Come with me," he sighs, taking my hand and half dragging me to the Athena cabin.

"You have extra armour?"

"Athena is a war goddess too," he says, rolling his eyes.

I quickly get outfitted in very heavy, very painful, very annoying armour.

"Is this all really necessary?" I ask, annoyed at the weight and inflexibility of the armour.

"Yes, its protection," Malcolm says for what seems like the millionth time.

"I don't want any freaking protection!" I respond for what seems equally like the millionth time. "I'm going to look like some sort of Eskimo!"

"You'll get used to it."

"I don't think I will," I say as I begin to strip off the access armour, leaving myself only in my breastplate.

"Fine," he sighs, taking the armour from me and putting it away. "But I'm not carrying you over to the infirmary if the Huntresses decide to take out their wrath on you."

"Haha," I laugh sarcastically. "Very funny. Although I bet it's not every day that a Hades kid gets dragged across the border, huh?"

"Guess not," he laughs. "Special circumstances."

"What time should we be there?" I ask, looking at my watch.

"Usually the game starts at eight."

"Let's get going then. We're five minutes late!"

Dragging our swords behind us, we run towards the dining hall where, hopefully, everyone is still waiting to start the games. At our arrival, I find that, luckily, everything is just as I expected and everyone is still waiting for Chiron's orders.

"You're finally here," Annabeth says at her brother with slight annoyance. "You're never late for capture the flag."

"I had to get Layla some armour before the games. You guys didn't get her fitting done?" he responds.

"We tried."

"She didn't like any of it," Percy adds, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and hugging her from behind.

"You just have to get used to wearing it," Thalia says simply. "If you don't, it'll be the end of you in a fight. Just sayin'."

"Shouldn't you be with the Hunters?" Nico asks, twiddling his thumbs.

"I suppose," she says sadly, running off towards the group of young girls, standing near the north edge of the dining hall.

"What's with her?" Marcus asks, turning to Annabeth.

"I think she misses home," Annabeth sighs. "Fighting alongside her friends. But she likes being a Huntress. It's her new home."

Although I know that what she says is true, I can't help but notice the hint of hurt in her voice. I think it isn't Thalia who needs to get used to her new home as much as it is Annabeth who has to get used to her being gone. Whether this is true or not, it doesn't seem as if Annabeth has accustom to Thalia being gone and I can tell that she's still hurt by her choice.

"You all know the rules," I hear Chiron's voice boom, snapping me back to attention as everyone turns to him. "No killing or severe maiming. Campers, as the Hunters of Artemis are currently visiting, we will be playing a campers versus Huntresses game today. Now, go and get ready!"

"Guess that's our cue," Percy says, kissing Annabeths forehead before running off. "I'll be at the lake if you need me," he calls out over his shoulder.

"I'll be at left flank,"Alisa says before dragging Nico into a long and heated kiss.

"And we'd better get going," Will says impatiently, dragging Alisa away from Nico.

They run off, Alisa waving at Nico as they go.

"I'm going to go..." I say.

"Where are you going?" Annabeth asks. "You haven't been assigned a flank yet, have you?"

"No," I admit. But I just want to get out of there. I just want to avoid people in general, especially with friends of Alisa. I think I should just leave her alone for a while and, maybe later, she'll forgive me.

"You can stick with..." she trails of, her mind running a mile a minute. "Malcolm. You guys have similar natural stances and you seem like you'd work well together. You guys have already helped each other quite a bit so you'll do well in battle."

"What?" we ask in unison.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Annabeth says, hands in the air in surrender. "I just said you seem like you'd work well together. Don't jump to conclusions! Jeez!"

"Let's go then," Malcolm says, dragging me behind him as he runs towards Zeus' Fist.

"Why are we headed here?" I ask.

"We usually hide the flag around here," he answers, panting. "We're on guard duty."

"What do I do then?"

"Just stand and wait."

"Interesting."

"Yup."

He plops down on the grass around Zeus' Fist, leaning back against it.

"Why'd you run earlier?" I ask. Then I notice the slight blush on his cheeks and the way he's biting the inside of his cheek.

"I hate how older people try to make things awkward just for the fun of it," I mutter, plopping down next to him.

"Annabeth can be a pain," he mutters. "Especially when Percy's around. After all his incident's she's still afraid of losing him so she tries hard to be cool when he's around."

"But she's pretty, smart and a great fighter," I point out, listing the traits on my fingers. "Why'd she be afraid of losing him?"

"They've been through a lot," he says sadly, looking down at his feet. I can't help but love the way his sandy-blonde hair falls in his grey eyes and how he doesn't even bother to push it away. It almost makes me want to fix it for him.

I'm so distracted that I don't even notice that he's still talking.

"We've all been through a lot," he says, snapping me out of my strange trance.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that," I say apologetically.

"It's not important," he sighs, getting onto his feet. "The game's about to begin anyways."


	21. Chapter 21

**IM SO SORRY! *cries* I've had lots of homework so I haven't had time to write! BUT I WROTE A BIG CHAPTER (in comparison to my old ones at least)! YAY! :D Don't hate me for being late! I SAID I WAS SORRY!**

**GLN3, I'll be SURE to include some Tratie later on. Still, as you can see on my profile, I'm not a HUGE Tratie fan although I have nothing against them! This just means that they won't be HUGE but they will be there... :) Be sure to look out for it! (: :)**

**Cockapoo, I'm so SORRY for not updating! :'( (: :)**

**NowayLrdOfShdows, I guess I'm a bro-ette? xD That sounds cool! Roman demigods? (although it could be Egyptian or Hindu too... I hear they have a LOT of demigods... Then again, so do the Norse and the Asian cultures...) (: :)**

**Disclaimer: Hello, this is Isa Daughter of Athena reporting to you live from Olympus where Ares and Clarisse are in a heated battle over the legal rights to this character! All I know is that I sure as hell don't own ANY of the PJO characters. I'll be right back after these short messages! ;)**

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><p>The fight begins simply, nothing actually happening around us. We sit, bored out of our minds, until I feel a small soul, a young child probably, enter my area. I turn to Malcolm, putting a finger to my lips, and stepping up. I stand on tip toe, slipping through the trees. I spot the girl, a small, frail looking girl with creamy blonde, curled hair that falls down her back. She seems to be about five which seems a bit young to be a Huntress. Although she looks frail, I'm not fooled by her looks. I know that as a Huntress she could probably kick my ass, something not many people would ever have the courage to do.<p>

I walk back over to Malcolm. I walk so silently that he doesn't see me coming and jumps as I tap his shoulder.

"Shh!" I whisper angrily to him. "Do you want to get caught?"

"You walk like some sort of freaking cat! Don't sneak up on me like that!" he hisses back.

"They've sent a spy," I whisper to him.

"Who?"

"I don't know. Some little kid."

"How old?"

"Maybe five?"

He swears under his breath before turning back to me. "We've got to follow her. Is she still around?"

I nod. He jumps up suddenly, walking silently towards the tree line. He turns, motioning for me to follow him.

"What's wrong?" I ask as I tip toe behind him, ducking slightly as not to get hit in the face by any low branches.

"Whisper, please," he says and I roll my eyes at the command. "If you really want to know, she's killer with knives."

"And...?" I say, trying to push him into explaining why she's so important.

"She's rumoured to have defeated a hydra by herself which is a huge feat for anyone, especially someone her age."

"And...?"

"And she's a daughter of Aphrodite."

"And...?"

"She can charmspeak! Happy? Now shush!"

I still have no idea what "charmspeaking" is but I don't think Malcolm is in the mood for explaining so I let it slide. Still, something about the girl was strange. From what I can tell she didn't look like a fighter or at least not a very strong one. I can't imagine her defeating something like a hydra especially considering that she's about five.

Then a thought hits me. _How does Malcolm know her?_

I can't imagine how he'd met a girl who's probably a third of his age. Also, I can't imagine that the huntresses visit often, let alone hang out with the regular campers. But I guess that if she's all high and mighty, as he put it, then I suppose she'd be famous, like Thalia.

He turns to me, a finger to his lips, as he follows the girl.

"I'm going to create a distraction," he whispers to me. "But I need your cooperation. Got it?"

"What do I do, captain?" I whisper back, mocking him slightly. But he doesn't notice my tone, too distracted by the plans forming themselves in his mind.

"As a daughter of Hades you should be able to have some sort of control over his domain. Crap, I wish we had longer to train you. We don't even know what powers you have yet!" he whispers, mostly to himself, his eyebrows knitting themselves together in concentration. "But I suppose your powers are similar to those of Nico. Try something."

"How? What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know. Something, anything."

I try, thinking as hard as I can, even coming to the point of praying to my father for help.

_Please, Hades, if you can, PLEASE tell me what to do!_

Yet I get nothing. No tingling feeling down my neck, no strange ghouls or poltergeists jump out from behind the trees. Not a single member of the un-dead or a single strange, otherworldly creature some to my aid.

"I've got nothin'," I admit to Malcolm, sighing in frustration.

"And Athena hasn't given me any great and mighty powers either," he chuckles. "What now?"

"You're the strategist."

"This strategist is out of strategies."

We continue to tail the girl silently, Malcolm leading me through the trees. At some point, I feel a small pull in my gut but it seems to fade quickly.

"She's leading us to the strawberry feilds―" he says, after about five minutes of silence, but he cuts himself off, his eyes widening as he looks me up and down. "Whoa."

"What?" I ask, staring right back at him.

"You... Layla, you're..." he trails off, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Yes...?"

"You're almost completely transparent. I've never seen anything like this! It's not even logical. It's just... impossible! All I can see is a slight outline which means you should still be physically there, am I right?"

"Yes, I'm still here."

"I'm not kidding, Layla!" he says, taking my hand and shoving it in my face.

Then I saw it, my hand was a smoky-transparent color, almost invisible. I turn my hand; still not completely sure of what was happening.

"This isn't... possible," I say incredulously, watching as the little color in my hand fades and the tugging returns in my stomach.

"Well, Hades can turn to shadow but he needs his helm for that. You seem to just... fade into shadows. It's quite peculiar," he says, taking my hand and studying it curiously. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"Nico's never done this before?"

"Not from what I know. I think everyone would flip if they saw him do this," he chuckles turning around again to run through the trees. But then he turns back to me suddenly, a huge grin crossing his face and his eyes seeming to calculate a million things a minute. "I've got a plan!"

"Spill the plan then, genius," I laugh.

"We could get you to sneak up on her and attack her. It seems that what you touch becomes invisible too," he explains, pointing at where my sheath should be. I notice then that it too seems to have completely faded into a sort of shadow along with my body. "So she won't see you _or _your sword. Sound like a plan?"

"Not too detailed. I like it." I smirk.

"Then get on with it," he says, pushing me forward. "She's heading towards the strawberry fields so you can just keep running forward, got it?"

"Sure."


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry! In a rush so I'll respond to reviews in the next chapter! :D**

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><p>I slip as silently as I can through the trees, my flesh blending into the shadows. I have become a shadow, silent and undetected. I find the girl at the edge of the tree line, standing in front of a tall oak.<p>

She begins to scale the worn tree, her blonde hair floating around angelically behind her as she climbs. Her hands find notches and grooves that seem almost nonexistent. I'm left to wonder why she climbing since there doesn't seem to be anything in this tree. Why would the huntresses be sending Zelda the warrior princess over her if all she's going to do is climb a tree?

I look upward, searching through its branches for something, anything that may possibly explain this strange expedition. My eyes trail through the branches, one by one, until I spot it. Her reason for climbing. She's going for the small, red flag hidden on the lowest branch, her hands reaching for it.

I know I have to stop this. Somehow, I know I must. Yet I have no idea how and at the same time I know that I cannot simply stand here and not do anything.

"Hey!" I shout at her, causing her to turn, a worried look on her face. "Yeah, you!"

I hear her mutter something under her breath but it's lost in the wind.

I move nearer to her, pulling out my sword and pointing it towards her neck.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands up!" I shout at her, sounding like a cop of sorts.

"You don't scare me," she says confidently, taking her bow in her hands. Her eyes search for me, going back and forth. At one point in time, her eyes fall upon mine and I'm worried that she's seen me.

"You don't mess with a spirit," I say, lying as I attempt to scare her. "You don't mess with poltergeists."

Her hands tremble as she attempts to string her bow. "That's not even Greek mythology!"

I chuckle slightly at her words, not knowing if this is true or not, but willing to take the risk. "Hades would be disappointed with those words. He holds great love for us poltergeists."

"Poltergeists are urban legends!"

"And you aren't daughter of Aphrodite?"

I've taken a huge risk. I don't know whether she truly is a daughter of Aphrodite or not. If I'm right, then I'll have scared the living hell out of her. But if I'm wrong, she'll know I'm a fake.

The look of shock on her face washes the worry out of me, replacing it with a sense of relief. I'm glad I'm invisible because I can't imagine the look on her face if she saw the size of my grin.

"H-how?" she asks incredulously. "I'm not... I..."

"I know everything," I whisper maliciously, trying to hold back my laughs. "I hear every whisper, every secret. I know yours, silly girl. I know them all."

"Y-you do not," she stammers. This time, her words are oddly convincing. Yes, maybe I don't.

"You should just leave me alone," she adds in a calm, soothing voice.

_No, I have no idea what I'm talking about and I should leave her alone. _

I am about to leave when my mind snaps back into attention.

_Eye on the prize, Layla. Keep your eye on the prize._

"I am quite certain that you have some better reason for me to disperse," I respond nonchalantly, turning towards her. "An ancient spirit always searches for trouble."

Her eyes widen with fear when she realises that she has no power over me. She steps back slowly, her shoelace snagging on a fallen branch and sending her sprawling to the ground.

"D-don't hurt me!" she sobs, her hands in the air in an act of surrender. My lips contort into a smug smirk, dagger in hand in case she tries something.

"Please," she cries again.

"Just go and do not return," I whisper in a cold, other-earthly tone. I watch, close to laughter, as she shivers with fear. She gets to her feet slowly, hands still in the air and eyes trained in the direction of my voice. She then turns her back to me and runs off as fast as she can through the trees.

I walk back towards Zeus Fist, my hands fiddling with the edge of my shirt. I am, as always, restless. Yet for once it is not due to my ADHD but due to the giddiness and butterflies that form in my stomach.

I practically start skipping, something I _never _do, as I run back towards Malcolm. My skin begins to return its colour and the pain in my stomach loosens as I return to normal. Thank goodness. I thought I was going to drop dead with how exhausted I was.

"What's with Little Miss Sunshine?" I hear a cold voice from behind me. "You know, skipping in broad daylight while wearing an orange t-shirt isn't the greatest thing when you're in a battle against the Hunters."

Nico. I could recognise that voice anywhere.

"Aren't you just a bucket of fun?" I ask him sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Having a nice day?"

He holds up his hand to show me a large bandage wrapped loosely around the back of his hand. "Not the greatest. Again, what's with all the butterflies and rainbows?"

"I just scared the crap out of some Huntress," I laugh.

"Which one?" he asks curiously.

I eye him carefully. "Why do you ask?"

He blushes slightly and turns away, mumbling something beneath his breath.

"Well, if you must know," I continue excitedly. "Some five year old, former Aphrodite kid."

"Holy crap, Cali? You scared Cali?" he asks, eyes widening. "That girl scares the crap out of all of us and you're telling me you managed to scare the crap out of her?"

"Nico Di Angelo, scared of a five year old. Tsk, tsk, Nico. I thought you could do better."


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys! Sorry about yesterday, I had to drop my sister off at swimming and I was already late but I knew that I had to update, right? So I did, five minutes before her swimming...**

**BTW this is SUPER short. I'm VERY sorry. I just thought I had to throw it in but I didn't get to write it yesterday... And I can't write it today as (yes, just now) I am writing the prophecy for it xD You guys are going to hate it. It's super long (the prophecy, not the chapter).**

**Chapter 21 review responses**

**ruerox11: Ikr? I actually forgot about that and only thought of it AFTER I had written the chapter. But I kept it in there because it helps with the prophecy I'm playing around with. It shall be revealed... some time in the future. xD**

**(: :)**

**Cockapoo: YESSSSS! I DID UPDATE xD Why thank you xD**

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**Chapter 22 review responses**

**Cockapoo: Again, YESSSS I DID! xD I'm actually surprised at how much of a comedy this has turned out to be. Originally, it was supposed to be a drama... But whatever. xD I decided to add some... stuff into this story. You can expect Nico to get a huge beating from Alisa in the future... xD**

**(: :)**

**xpig-in-the-skyx: Not sure how I'm doing that since I actually don't have a plot (as with everything I do) xD But still, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Cali, and the huntresses in general, will play a bit of a role in this story. Just wait and see. I SHALL UPDATE! (but I've got a LOT of schoolwork sadly).**

**(: :)**

**GLN3: I totally understand. I work at a camp during summer break (not CHB xD) and I take care of the fives. Not fun. But I need the money for University funds so I live with it xD Just the summer, right?**

**(: :)**

**Disclaimer: As Josh, Isabelle's writing angel, I own everything. I own the sky, the world and even the immortals up on Olympus. Well, I do in my mind...**

**Isabelle: Josh, quit playing with my laptop!**

**Josh: I own nothing but the cookies I am currently baking. Yum.**

**Isabelle: IM THE ONE BAKING THEM!**

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><p>"Where is everyone else?" I ask Nico as we head towards Malcolm.<p>

"Annabeth went after the flag because of her invisibility cap. Percy and the rest of the guys are just lounging by the canoe lake," he says, chuckling at the last comment.

"So we've got it covered?"

"Saying as you managed to scare off one of the strongest and youngest huntresses; I'd say the game is going fine. How did you manage?"

"It's... hard to explain. I'll try to show you," I answer, trying with all my might to return to the shadowy state.

After about four or five minutes of nothing, I give up, following Nico into the bushes.

"Whatever you did, scaring that little demon is near impossible. Not even _I _can do that, and that's saying something since I scare the crap out of everyone else."

"I suppose I'm scarier, then," I laugh, earning a hard, but playful, punch on the arm from Nico. "I make a good poltergeist too."

He laughs, clutching his side as he bends over, one hand on his knee to keep him from falling.

"You _do _know that poltergeists aren't Greek creatures, right?" he asks in between fits of laughter.

"I had to think of something!"

"And she believed it?"

"Not at first but then, after charmspeak didn't work―"

"Wait. Her charmspeak doesn't affect you?" he asks, surprised, whirling around to look at me.

"No," I respond truthfully.

"That's... not possible," he says, his voice so low that it's almost become a whisper. His eyes widen, and he looks around as if to confirm that we are alone.

"The prophecy," he whispers cautiously to me as if worried that his words may catch flame and dissolve. "You might be the one."

Then, as if nothing had happened, he resumes walking, straight ahead, not daring to look behind him. I am still confused by his words and scared by the tone in his voice.

Yet one thing managed to surface.

I understood one thing through his words.

Somehow, someday, I may go on a quest.

And whatever it was sounded dangerous.


	24. Chapter 24

**Yay! UPDAAAAATE! xD**

**Anyways, you may have noticed that I changed my username... If you didn't, that's okay too! I changed it because I had to... My friend has been looking for my account for ages and I don't want her to read this xD She writes WAAAAAY better and I feel embarrassed at showing it to her...**

**ruerox11: Thank you! Sorry it's so short, I only write at lunch time when I get a break from my daily activities. This means I only get 20min of writing a day xD THANKS FOR ZE AWESSSOOOME COOKIE! :D **

**Also, I've been asked to add some Traitie. I will, I promise. I just haven't introduced them yet... :) Plus, ****YOU GET TO READ THE PROPHECY NEXT TIME! HUZZAH!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except Malcolm! :D ****Wait, that means dating my half brother. Eww. Nevermind... I WANT PERCYYYYY! (Annabeth is going to murder me... x.x)**

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><p>"We cannot allow her to continue. She already shows signs of higher power than the boy," Zeus shouts, scaring his wife who stands by his side.<p>

"I will not allow you to blow my child to dust," Hades retorts, hands flying in the air as he spits out every word.

"I'm not even certain why I was called into this," Poseidon sighs, leaning lazily in an armchair, hands playing with the fishing net at his side, tying the strings into small knots.

"Neither do I," Athena agrees, eyes not leaving the paper as she does some strange mathematical equation.

"And how about me?" Apollo adds, his voice sing-song and merry despite his obvious boredom. "Why'd you call her in, anyways?" he continues, pointing to his sister beside him.

"Because your Oracle, Apollo, has had a prediction many years ago which we think may be coming true now," Hera explains, her lips pursed tightly. "And it includes all of your children."

"No way," Poseidon spat, jumping out of his chair and sending it flying backward. "I'm not allowing my child to travel with the any of the Athena scum any longer. Not after the whole Annabeth/Percy issue."

"Scum?" Athena retorts, her voice rising as she spits out the word. "Scum? You're one to talk, Seaweed. You should be glad I haven't destroyed your son by now, especially now that he's got his hands all over my daughter!"

"You're one to talk!" Poseidon spat. "If it weren't for your daughter―"

"Your son would have died years ago!" she spits, cutting him off.

"Stop it this instant!" Zeus shouts, his voice travelling over the crowd and quieting them. "You two sound like an old married couple."

Blushing slightly, Poseidon went to retort, but Athena beat him to it.

"Then I suppose you guys can just enjoy a peaceful afternoon alone. I suppose my council won't be necessary if I cannot stop acting like an old bickering woman," Athena snaps, turning to leave.

"Sweethe―"

"Don't you _dare _'sweetheart' me Zeus or I swear on the River Styx that the prophecy of your defeat will one day come true! Now, are we fixing things or not?" She spat angrily, the look in her eyes murderous.

"Well..." he trails off, taken aback by his daughter's threat. Although he already knew that it was prophesied that he would fall by the hand of a child of his and Metis, he never thought she would actually know about the prophecy, let alone threaten him with it.

"We need to fix... this," Hera says nonchalantly, pointing towards the glowing circle of light which showed the red-headed oracle.

Rachel sat there, hands over her ears. A soft humming escapes her lips, melodious and beautiful yet mysterious all at once. In her shaking hands she held one thing, a small piece of parchment with the wretched words written upon it.

The girl did not know what to do. She couldn't show it to everyone in fear that they would hate her for it. Bad news does not go well around Camp Half-Blood, especially not after the Titan War. Yet she knew also that she could not keep it to herself. She could not control destiny.

The gods watched as the girl got herself up off the ground, legs wobbly like gelatine. Grasping the hand rail firmly with one hand, she began to take small steps towards the door. For a moment, she hesitated, calculating the pros and cons of telling everyone the prophecy.

_I would help save lives._

_But I would be hated by Camp. Shunned even._

_What a selfish thought. I'm better off telling them..._

Yet she couldn't bear to see the look on her friends faces, the sadness behind their eyes. She couldn't bear to face them. She couldn't see them like that again, the hope simply washed out of their faces.

But at the same time, she would hate herself if she'd let them die due to her foolish selfishness.

She continued walking, step by step, eventually reaching the door, opening it and racing outside. Then, with the moonlight beating down on her shoulders like boulders and the grief reaching her eyes, she ran as fast as her feet could take her to the Big House.


	25. Chapter 25

**Again, I've got to make this fast... I'll respond to reviews and explain in the next chapter, okay?**

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><p>We had won the game of capture-the-flag, finally beating the huntresses for the first time in millennia. Now we were around the campfire, enjoying the warm night with friends. I was roasting a marshmallow, watching as Leo feeds the flames with the strange fire from his hands.<p>

But then I noticed something. Despair, sadness, worry and fear, mingling in the air.

"Chiron!" Annabeth shouts, her voice trembling almost as much as her arms.

Percy runs to her, taking the red-headed oracle from her arms and laying the girl gently on the ground. He then returns to Annabeths side, holding her from behind and planting small kisses in her hair to calm her. But the look of worry does not leave her face, nor does the fear leave her eyes. I watch as she slips him a small piece of paper. It looks old and frail, as if it were created eons ago.

He takes the page from her trembling hands. His eyes scan the page quickly, widening as they continue to read.

I could tell instantly that something was wrong.

He whispers something in her ear as tears begin to form in her eyes. He lets go of her, plants a soft kiss on her lips and watches as she races to her cabin, the tears floating freely down her face.

I turn to Nico, Malcolm and the others beside me. The question in my eyes is visible in all of theirs as well.

_What's happening?_

I feel a hand reach mine, and I grasp it. Nico's long, pale fingers clasp mine, keeping me sane for at least a few moments.

I whisper a soft "thanks" to my brother and receive a soft nod in return. I suppose he's seen this happen before, as he seems completely unscathed by the strange occurrences. But, of course, being new, I have absolutely no idea what happening.

I watch as Percy walks up to Chiron, handing the old centaur the worn parchment. Chiron takes it delicately, pulls his glasses onto his face and reads it silently to himself. I watch his eyes widen, just as Percy's did, as he finishes off the page.

He clears his throat and then addresses the audience.

"Campers, I need all the cabin councillors and vice-councillors to please come in for an important meeting at the Big House," he says formally. I can tell that he's trying to keep his voice steady, trying to stay calm for the rest of us. But I can tell he's worried. "The rest of you, off to bed. We've got another day of activities tomorrow morning."

I follow Nico, Percy, Malcolm, Will, Alisa and the rest of the campers as they head off to the Big House, my hands trembling, wondering if this had anything to do with what Nico had mentioned earlier.


	26. Chapter 26

**Prophecy time? Me thinks so! (The prophecy is bad btw. Don't hate me)**

**Reviews for Chapter 24**

**Cockapoo: NOW YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON! xD**

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**GLN3: Yes, I know. I like teasing you guys with those, don't I? xD Yeah, I guess we all do xD She's my one friend who's better than me in everything xD**

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**Reviews for Chapter 25**

**xpig-in-the-skyx: I'm so sowwy... :'( But now you know what's on that old piece of paper xD **

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**PjsRock14: I AM TELLING IT IN THIS CHAPTER! DON'T DIE ON ME! xD There is no secret, I actually didn't start getting reviews until about three weeks after I started writing this... Hey, there's no secret. If there is one, I don't know it xD I will read it! :D**

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**Explanation: I had to go to a doctors appointment so I updated in the car xD Sorry for not responding to your reviews until now!**

**Disclaimer: Percy shall one day be MIIIIIINE! Except for now, he belongs to Riordan, Sally and Annabeth... BUT MARK MY WORDS, PERCY SHALL BE MIIIIIINE!**

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><p>"Come on!" Clarisse shouts impatiently, throwing a dagger across the room, hard, and watching as it lodges itself into the wall right above Percy's head. "It can't be that bad, Chiron. Just spill and get it over with."<p>

Shaking his head sadly, the old centaur passes the parchment to her. "Read it aloud."

She clears her throat and begins to read.

"A great dragon will gamble with the land.  
>A victory finally to occur,<br>Handed to a child of the serpent.  
>The one who can heal the world,<br>Will shake at the sight of the dark horses,  
>And she will swear to the sky never again to encounter,<br>Him who rides upon them.  
>The dragon must not hurdle with the child of Doves,<br>Nor will they give belief to their words.  
>The wounded mouse,<br>Shall escape at the coming of death,  
>Yet cause that of another,<br>Through his own hands.  
>Only a soldier's deception,<br>Will save the dragon that struggles.  
>A disguised warrior will be lead by the brave death,<br>Rising with her brethren to save them who matter most.  
>And a possibility shall arise through him who is of the sea,<br>To keep the great monster at bay."

Clarisse lets out a low whistle, breaking the difficult silence. "That's a hell of a prophecy. Isn't it a bit long?"

"The length of the poetics is hardly the issue, Clarisse," Malcolm says, rolling his eyes. "I'm guessing this is for a quest?"

"Probably," Percy adds. "But why is it written down? Why didn't Rachel tell us herself?"

"I'm afraid the answer was burned down, destroyed by Stilicho 405 A.D.," Chiron sighs, taking the parchment back.

"The Sibylline Books?" Malcolm gasps, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. "But then... How?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. Nor do I know why Greek demigods would be found in a Latin prophecy. However, Rachel foresaw it and tried to inform us of it."

"So, if this is a quest, then shouldn't we choose who should go?" Conner suggests, a mischievous look forming on his face.

"Since this is an ancient prophecy, there are important... facts to sort through."

"But who's going? I mean, we can't all go, but it sounds like a lot of people." Katie Gardner asks, swatting away Travis' hands away angrily as he attempts to play with her hair. "Jeez, Travis! Will you just _quit _with it?"

I hear Conner snicker, earning him a warning glare from his twin, which forces devious smiles to form on their faces. I _really_ don't want to have to hear about this later.

"To answer your question, Katie," Chiron says, ignoring the face-making contest the twins are having. "The prophecy seems to include quite a few different people. I'm thinking there's a child of Hades destined to be in this, which would explain the dragon. Athena is the goddess of serpents so 'a child of the serpent' is obviously a child of Athena."

"But it could also be a child of Hermes," Alisa points out. "Hermes has some domain over snakes too, right?"

"Yes," Chiron nods. "But Athena is known for being the goddess of snakes. Her domain over them is larger."

"Who's this 'rider of the dark horses'?" Chris asks.

"I'm not entirely certain," Chiron admits.

"And 'the one who can heal the world'?"

"Obviously an Apollo kid," Malcolm points out. "Also the 'mouse' is an Apollo kid too."

"The rest is only our best guess," Chiron sighs. "Now let's head off to bed. Remember, we don't want to scare the camp. Stay quiet about this."

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><p><strong>Remember to REVIEW! I promise to ALWAYS answer reviews! :D<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

**Heeeelllllooooooo! I is hereeeee! :D**

**I've been updating (A LOT) because I'm on a bit of a writing drift xD This means I'm writing (A LOT MORE) often... :D**

**GLN3: Yeah I didn't know either. I found out in my textbook... :D I love my History texbook**

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**PjsRock14: Yay! Well, now you'll get another one... And hopefully a lot more :D**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOOOOOTHING! If I did, I would be rich. lol**

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><p>"What do you think about this?" I ask Nico as he turns out the light.<p>

"Well..." he trails off, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "There's not much to it. It'll probably end up like Percy's prophecy."

"How'd that end up?"

"A _looooooong, _difficult war with the Titans."

"Oh joy."

"Don't worry; it probably doesn't have anything to do with us. Maybe, since it's a Latin prophecy, it doesn't even apply to Greeks."

"Then why was it given to Rachel?"

"I don't know," he sighs, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it into the corner of the room. "I don't know _what _this means. None of us do."

"Rachel knew," I say, throwing myself onto the bed.

"Rachel almost died for it," Nico adds, climbing the ladder to his bunk. "You saw her."

"But she knew," I sigh, tying my hair back into a small ponytail. "She knew something. She knew more than we did. I bet she knew what this means."

"We'll see what Annabeth knows tomorrow morning." Nico pulls out a flashlight, flicking it on and pulling out an old book. "I hope you don't mind. The light, I mean."

"No, I don't mind." I smile, laying my head onto the soft, black pillow. "Night, Nico."

"Night."

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><p><strong>REMEMBER TO REVIEEEEEEW!<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

**Yeah, I know this is small, but it's an important little snippet of conversation that you need :D If you don't read this, the next chapter will make NOOOOOOO sense to you...**

**GLN3: It's Saturday and I'm home alone writing Fanfiction... xD I'm the real loner**

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**PjsRock14: I probably will. See, I've got a few things to get through so no promises BUT I will probably update once a day or maybe even twice a day.**

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><p>"Layla, wake up," Nico shouts at me, throwing pillows and miscellaneous objects at my partially sleeping form.<p>

"Nyaaaaaah," I groan, turning my back to him.

"Seriously, Layla," he shouts. "It's an emergency!"

That did it.

My body jerks up suddenly, leaving me in a sitting position.

"What's wrong?" I ask, eyes wide.

"An attack, Layla," he answers. "A full-out, freaking attack at freaking five in the morning!"

"How many?"

"One."

"Don't you have it covered then?" I ask, dropping back down into bed.

"It's worse than you think. Chiron wants all of us there, especially us Big Three's."

"Why us?"

"Because they think it's one of the Big Three who sent it."


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys! BUAHAHA chapter 29 is uuuuup! I actually had to do mucho research for this... But I knew the basic story for great Cretan Bull (A.K.A the Marathonian Bull) but I actually had no idea how it was killed. I still have no idea how Theseus "killed" it since Heracles brought it to Athens alive. Why he did that is totally beyond me. He could've killed it _easily. _But _nooooo _killing the bull is _soooo _overrated... -.-**

**So now I'm MUUUUCHO frustrated... I have NOOOOO idea how they defeated this thing. Seriously, how did they manage to kill it and why doesn't it say anything about it in any of the books? WHYYYYY?**

**Also, I haven't written in Malcolm's POV for a while... So why not? He's a great charrie and much mre similar to me than Layla is, sadly. I'm actually starting to wonder if I should have written the whole story in his POV... lol, I probably wouldn't be able to.**

**A bit of a side note, I finally wrote some Hunger Games fanfiction. It's a romance kind of thing, just some random Annie/Finnick fluff. I'm still mad at Colins for killing off Finnick. Why'd she have to go and kill off my heartthrob? Whyyyyy? (Feel free to check it out here - .net/s/7787458/1/Hunting_Me_Down)**

**PjsRock14: Thank you for the cookies! Do you bake them yourself? They were delicious. We need to have a recipe swap xD (I've got a recipe for sugar cookies. Yum)**

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**reurox11: xD Yeah, I'm dramatic some times and I enjoy making cliffhangers. Horrah for keeping you guessing, eh? xD Thanks! :D :D :D**

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**Disclaimer: I own nothing. I actually hope so because owning a Cretan Bull would be mucho work... . I look for low care pets... Such as the Axolotl... Oh how I love axolotls :D (If you don't know what an axolotl is, google "Pink Axolotl" and you'll see what I mean about their cuteness)**

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><p><span>Malcolm's POV<span>

_Giant bulls, giant bulls. Where have I heard of this before? Who brings in giant bulls? Why can't I remember?_

I scan through my e-book copy of the Illiad, my hands racing as I attempt to locate the words, the story, anything to help us defeat the creature. Still, nothing comes up. No great golden bulls, no heroes defeating them.

Next to me, Annabeth sits at her own laptop, searching through ancient scrolls.

"Anything?" I ask her.

"Not yet," she sighs. "But it's a Big Three thing, I'm sure of it. One of them sent it, although why, I don't know."

"What have we gone through?" I ask her, my hands drumming over the keyboard impatiently.

"I've gone through the Odyssey and I'm sure you've gone through the Illiad by now. I've also scanned through some of the old stories but I haven't found anything about a snow-whit bull. Especially not a giant snow-white bull."

"Well, if its Big Three material, shouldn't we look for a story that includes a child of the Big Three?"

"I've already tried."

"Let's keep trying then."

I return to my laptop punching in a few names. Poseidon, Zeus, Hades, Hera... Still nothing comes up.

"_Heracles, my dear child. Find the story of the great Heracles." _My mother's voice whispers to me. _"There you shall find your answer."_

"Annabeth, did you try Heracles?" I ask, swivelling my chair around to face her.

"No, I haven't actually. But I think I've found something."

"You read through that and I'll read through the story of Heracles, got it?"

"Sure."

_King Minos wanted his queen to live in a spectacular palace, greater than that of her father. He then hired Daedalus to build it for him, knowing that the genius inventor could create something magnificent enough for his queen. It was marvellous, a forest of columns and a system of intricate passageways and winding staircases._

"What does Minos' palace have to do with anything?" I ask aloud.

"Just shut up and read," Annabeth snaps, her eyes not leaving the screen before her.

_The Cretans worshipped the great bull which Zeus had used to take his new wife, Europa, to the island of Crete. However, Poseidon was jealous of the fact that Zeus had taken all the credit for the island, especially since he had to travel over his domain to reach it for the island was surrounded by the sea._

_And so he sent them a snow-white bull, taller than a man and thrice as thick, to the island of Crete. Upon its arrival, the queen begged her king to keep the bull, despite the specific direction to sacrifice the bull to Poseidon. The king wanted more than anything for his wife to be happy and thus he allowed her to keep the bull, infuriating Poseidon.  
><em>

_The queen loved the bull so much that she requested a hollow, wooden one be made in which she could use to get closer to the bull and admire it at a closer range._

_In his anger, Poseidon made the bull become angry and violent. The bull then created havoc throughout the land. No one could subdue the beast until Heracles came to capture the bull for one of his great labours. _

_As further punishment, Poseidon caused Pasiphaë to give birth to the mighty Minotaur, a human/bull hybrid that feasted only on human flesh._

"It's Poseidon's fault," I say. "Poseidon sent the bull."

"It could also be Zeus. It says here that he used to same creature to kidnap Europa," Annabeth adds.

"But how do we kill it?"

"I don't know."

I return to my reading, skimming the pages in search of any information on how to kill it.

"_The Seventh Labour of Heracles," _my mother whispers in my mind. _"Find his Seventh Labour."_

_For his Seventh great Labour, Heracles was sent to slay and capture the great Cretan Bull, a creature which had been devastating the land of Knossos for many years. Heracles sailed to Crete, the land of King Minos. King Minos offered his assistance, yet, in his pride, Heracles did not accept his assistance and went forth to murder the bull himself._

_Taking the animal's neck within his hands, he strangled the creature and sent it back to Athens._

_It was later defeated for a second time by Theseus and sacrificed to Athena and Apollo._

"We've got to strangle it supposedly," I sigh, pulling the hair out of my eyes in frustration.

"We can't strangle it!" she shouts, jumping to her feet. "How are we supposed to strangle it?"

"Don't ask me! Ask Heracles!"

She sighs angrily, dropping back down into her chair.

"We can't do it." She punches the table hard with her fist, giving off an audible cracking sound and leaving a thin but long crack in the desk. "We can't defeat this thing."

"We can and we will, somehow. I know it."


	30. Chapter 30

**Hello! I'm back!**

**Sorry it took so long to update, I've just had a few... Issues thanks to school. I needed to sort through them. Plus, Glee was a bit distracting xD CAN'T BELIEVE RACHEL SAID YES! o OMG OMG OMG! **

**Aaaaanyways, this chapter is equally a bit long. Actually, pretty long for my taste. It has a bit more drama in it... Some Ares versus Athena drama xD Which I loooove to write, btw.**

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**PjsRock14: Peanut butter cookies (#) xD**

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**Cockapoo: Don't worry, I'll do something with this. I promise, I'll fix this. Yeah, I hate him too xD**

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**Thanks, I'll throw some action in there in the future. Or I might just get one person to kill it xD **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except for this cookie (#)... And this one (: :)... AND this one (%) (M&M COOKIES!)**

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><p>"There's no use trying to fight it with weapons," Annabeth informs us, her hand resting Percy's shoulder. "It needs some sort of extreme power to defeat it."<p>

We've taken a bit of a break, handing the pest control job over to the second group of campers.

I watch as Alisa bandages Nico's hand, the one the bull had speared with its horn. She takes it gingerly in her own, attempting to be careful as not to hurt him. Still, he's trying to keep himself from wincing as she treats the wound.

On the other side of the room, Clarisse sits in a chair, bored to death because she's not allowed to fight. Chris sits next to her, holding her hand as Will tries to set the bone.

"Is everyone okay?" Percy asks, running through the door and slamming it behind him. "We've got it in a corner and it's kind of tied up at the moment."

"How...?" Annabeth asks incredulously.

"Sharpshooters and chain-link rope," he says simply, taking his girlfriend into a long hug that somehow results into them sitting in the chair next to me.

"Why aren't you guys at the infirmary?" Percy asks, looking at Nico and Clarisse. "You two look like you fall under intensive care."

"Not in comparison to Travis Stoll and Katie Gardner," Alisa sighs. "A direct hit to the chest on Katie. She flew like fifty feet."

"And Travis?"

"Well..." she trails off, biting her lower lip. "He was kind of trampled. Same goes for his brother. It looks like they both have multiple elbows."

I shudder slightly, the thought absolutely disgusting me.

"We should've known," Nico sighs, getting up from his chair and beginning to pace around the room. "Although I don't think we've ever had something that big invade camp."

"And how'd it get past the borders?" I ask. "Isn't there magic protecting us?"

"We think a god sent it," Malcolm shrugs. "The two biggest suspects are Zeus and Poseidon."

"See, Zeus originally sent one to Europa to kidnap her from Tyre and take her to the island of Crete where she became the first queen of Crete. She was also taken as a wife of Zeus and with him bore the evil king Minos and―"

"Annabeth," Percy says, stifling laughs at her little rant. "Not now."

She blushes slightly, plopping down into the chair beside me, her lip slightly forward in a pout. She crosses her arms over her chest.

Malcolm sits next to me on the sofa, tucking his legs under him and leaving back against the armrest.

"To kind of sum up that little rant," Malcolm chuckles. "Zeus sent a bull, identical to ours, to Europa. But Poseidon sent another one and that one went insane. It's a long story."

"So either its Poseidon or Zeus. Why do we care?" Clarisse scoffs, rolling her eyes.

"Because then we can find out why they sent it and see if we can fix this."

"But how do we _defeat _it, nerd."

"We don't know."

"Are you freaking telling me that after spending a whole freaking hour in a tent, looking this stuff up, you haven't found out a single useful thing?"

"No, I'm saying that I don't know how we're going to defeat it. Now, of course, you wouldn't understand how hard it is since you've probably never opened a book in your life!" Malcolm shouts.

I watch as they bicker, their hands flying through the air in outrageous movements. I see a look of pure rage in Clarisse's eyes and the glare forming in Malcolm's. Everyone else watches them like a tennis match, eyes jumping back and forth with each throw, every word a bright yellow ball speeding towards their opponents head.

Yet there's something... amusing about watching them here. I don't know if this is an Ares versus Athena thing or if it's just a Clarisse versus Malcolm match. But I suppose things like this are normal. Athena must have always fought with Ares when it came to strategies in battle and I suppose their children are no different.

"Oh so now you're saying it's my fault?" Clarisse shouts, waving her dagger-clad hand.

"Stop waving the dagger around, Clarisse," Percy sighs. "You're going to take out somebody's eye."

"I'd just _love _to take this punk's eye out," she seethes, holding her dagger precariously close to Malcolm's face.

"And I'd just _love _to punch the living daylights out of you," he shouts, shoving her backwards.

"You did _not _just do that!" she huffs, getting to her feet and shoving him back.

"Better believe it," he smirks.

"You―!"

"Guys, seriously," Annabeth sighs, taking her brother's elbow and attempting to pry him away from Clarisse. "Not the best time."

He sighs before slumping back down into the seat next to me.

"What was that?" I whisper to Alisa before remembering that we still aren't on speaking terms with each other.

"Why do you care?" she whispers coldly. "I suppose this is just another outburst that'll get on your nerves. Maybe you should leave, princess."

"Look, I'm sorry. How many times do I have to say it?"

"You can say it all you want. I don't give a shit how many times you do!"

She gets up and storms out of the Big House, earning me strange glances from everyone.

"What did you do, Marquez?" Will sighs, running out the door after Alisa.

"I... don't know," I whisper to myself. "I don't know."


	31. Chapter 31

**I'm kind of grounded (I know, it sucks) so I'm writing this secretly at the library (haha. I'm so evil). This means that for the next few weeks I may be uploading about once or twice a week at the max. Seriously, I'm getting maybe half an hour to write and upload and I can only go to the library twice a week... Please don't hate me!**

**PjsRock14: It's peanut free peanut butter cookies! (They exist, trust me.) But if you prefer, I can simply go back to the choco chip :)**

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**GLN3: I have a hole in my wall from throwing a lamp... I threw it VERY hard... I'm not even sure why any more. xD**

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**NowayLrdofShdws: haha. I get that too... xD**

**Grr. I'm sorry. I loooove to write but I am known for dropping cliffhangers here and there (more like everywhere...) xD Thanks for the foooood! :D :D :D**

**I shall when I get my laptop back! I can't right now... A bit of a time restriction.**

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**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except Finnick Odair from the Hunger Games. I don't know how that's gonna settle with Annie, but FINNICK IS MIIIIIIIINE! xD**

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><p>A sound like a million sheets of paper ripping at once reverberates through the room.<p>

"It's gotten free," Malcolm gasps, his sword already drawn and protectively at his side. I watch as everyone else follows his lead, pulling out an assortment of weapons and jumping to their feet.

"But what do we do?" I ask. "We've got a monster on the loose that took one of the world's strongest men to destroy. A full out son of Zeus!"

"How did you know that? I don't remember explaining the full story," Annabeth asks quizzically.

_How did I know? _I wonder to myself.

Was there any possibility that I had known this from before? No. I was never a strong student and History never quite struck me in school. I was always that quiet kid who read in the back of the classroom and kind of shut the rest of the world out.

"I… uh… I must have picked it up somewhere," I lie. Although it's not really a lie, is it? I really must have picked it up somewhere… I just don't know where.

"Well, whatever. Let's just go assess the damage, shall we?" Nico says, holding the door open and motioning us out.

The whole camp is in chaos. Campers run around, swords drawn, shouting obscenities as the monster tramples everything that stands in its way.

"How are we defeating it?" I whisper to Malcolm.

"I have no idea."

Gripping the sword tightly in his hand, he races forward, slicing the animal in every piece skin he can reach, causing huge gashes. But even with the whole camp attempting to do the same, the animal still stands there, running around and squealing as if it had been pricked in the toe by a needle.

I race forward to be held back by Nico.

"We only want experienced fighters," he says to me. "It's too dangerous."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" I practically shout. "You've got a freaking five year old on the battle field!"

"Correction, she's sixteen now. I think. But either way, you aren't fighting. You're barely stable."

"Barely stable? I'll let you know, Di Angelo, that I am fully capable, if not more capable, than helping you guys. As you can see, we seem to have a lot more youngsters in the battle than you seem to have first thought and I assure you that I am not some useless little girl. I'm freaking sixteen and I've probably been through a _lot _more than you have so I suggest you back off!"

With that, I run into the battle, sword in hand, slicing at whatever I can reach.

"It's no use," Malcolm says between pants, his breathing already irregular from the fast and heavy labour.

"Yes, it is. We're taking this down no matter how long it takes."

He shakes his head slightly, a small smile appearing on his face. "I like your determination."

"And I see you have a lack of it," I laugh, slicing at the animal's heel.

"I should get to work on that after we're done defeating this thing," he chuckles. "Sure could use it around here."

We continue to chop and slice, my hand sore after a measly ten minutes. After twenty minutes, it feels as if it's going to fall off and my fingers are going numb.

_There is no use fighting it with sword or sheer willpower,_ a voice speaks in my mind, _use your strength from within._

_What strength? _I ask it. _I don't have any "strength from within."_

_You shall see, my child, you shall see._

I have no idea what that is about. The strange little conversation in my head leaves my asking questions. Who did the voice belong to? It was surely male, the deep tone completely giving that away. But it had called me his child. Was it Hades himself?

My anger bubbles over, all the hatred and resentment I had felt towards my father for years, making a new appearance. All the fathers day's alone, all those bring your kid to work days in which I had simply stayed home with my mother. All those days in which I had simply wished he would make an appearance. The memories return to me, turning me to ice.

I just want to hurt something. Anything. Anyone. I just want to go on complete rampage, destroying everything in my path as this animal has done.

_The anger from within is a source of natural energy, _the voice continues, _take it and use it as your weapon._

I feel as if my stomach is burning itself from the inside out, my whole being becoming some sort of ball of fire. I'm completely consumed by my anger and where the cold once was, I feel fire. A fire that consumes everything that sits around me, a fire that completely destroys it all.

Then I watch as the animal before me sinks to its knees and I fall along with it.


	32. Chapter 32

**Sorry, would have updated yesterday but Fanfiction was being evil...**

**PjsRock14: Thanks! I love baking cookies :)**

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**ruerox11: xD I agree. Secret powers FTW!**

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**Cockapoo: xD Thanks! I am slowly adding hints of that. I'm trying not to rush them**

**xD Again, didn't mean to steal. I got the idea from book 4 :)**

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**GLN3: Yeah, I know... I'm not a fan of being grounded xD It sure does... Glad I'm not the only HPM potterhead out there xD I'm a Ravenclaw.**

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**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, I own a few things, but one of them is NOT PJO... sadly *sobs* **

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><p>"Is she okay?"<p>

"Have you tried to get some ambrosia in her?"

"We can't keep doing this every time there's a battle!"

The voices ring in my ears, each sounding like a booming speaker, pressed to my ear. I wince slightly at the sounds. A hand rests on my head as a cold, damp cloth pats it. My eyes flutter open and the light burns them, causing me to close them quickly.

"She's up!" I hear Annabeth exclaim. "She's up, guys!"

"Good riddance," Alisa mutters. "Can I leave now?"

"Come on," Malcolm chuckles from beside me. "Be nice to the only person who's managed to defeat a Marathonian Bull."

"Theseus did it."

"Theseus wasn't a sixteen-year-old beginner."

"But Theseus didn't manage to faint halfway through a battle either," I croak with a small smile.

"First words in a few hours and you're already managing to joke around, eh?" Malcolm chuckles.

I risk opening one eye slowly and then another. At the sight of my friends, and, despite it being only Alisa, Malcolm and Annabeth, I smile. "I suppose so."

"Quit with it, lovebirds. We get enough flirting from Annabeth and Percy," Alisa sighs, flinging the wet cloth onto a table beside me.

"You're one to talk," Annabeth snaps. "You and Nico with your midnight disappearances. What _do _you two do at two in the morning?"

"Ewww! Not what _you're _implying!" Alisa shudders. "It's just 'cause nobody seems to get any privacy around here. That's all we need, jeez."

"I get what you mean," Annabeth chuckles, patting her back awkwardly. "It's a pain."

I sound out their conversation, not interested in the dramas and difficulties of strange love-lives.

"How long have I been out?" I whisper to Malcolm.

"About five hours now." He smiles softly at me. "It's better than last time."

"I feel like hell," I whisper.

"You used a _lot _of energy. I would be surprised if you didn't feel like hell."

"That makes me feel _soooo _much better." I roll my eyes.

"Hey, you saved our backs. No pain, no gain."

I let out a cross between a sigh and a chuckle, earning a laugh from Malcolm.

"What you said before, about Heracles. How _did _you know about that? You're new. Usually we'll have a few people who know but most are totally lost when it comes to mythology," he asks.

"Can I leave? I mean, it's stuffy and I'm feeling kind of queasy and I'm hungry. Plus, there are things I need to do. You know, I'm missing my first Ancient Greek class. Did I mention that I'm hungry?" I ramble, trying to change the subject. "Please, just... just let me go eat, okay?"

"You should rest―"

"No, please. Just... please?"

He runs a hand through his hair, his eyes looking towards Annabeth, his eyes begging that she intervene. I can tell that they're having some sort of battle. I don't know what they are saying, but the exchange is definitely there.

_They have to _debate _on whether or not I get to eat lunch? _I wonder to myself.

"Fine," Annabeth sighs. "I'll take her to lunch. I want you two to head to your normal activities. Now go!"

I watch as Alisa gets up and leaves. My eyes meet hers for a moment and I spot the hint of pain in them. I should have apologized for what I had done...

"I'm sticking around," Malcolm says stubbornly, refusing to get up. "I'll bring her to lunch, okay? You should go make sure Percy isn't murdering Nico at sword fighting."

He practically shoves her out the door as she protests.

"But I―" she starts.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get someone to help, okay?" he assures her. She nods slightly as she leaves.

"I should go check on everyone. They're still a bit shaken up after the battle and all..." she trails off, seeming to forget what she was talking about as she passes through the door.

"Let's go to lunch then." Malcolm smiles before running out the door, daring me to catch up.

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><p><strong>REVIEWS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED! :D :D :D<strong>


	33. Chapter 33

**This one's a bit... creepier than my normal stuff. It's what happens when I'm not in the greatest mood... It is also confusing and will be explained in the next chapter.**

_**GLN3: xD I didn't think anyone would pick up on that xD **_

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_**Lmgmz: Yes, I know I've got a lot of cliffies. The only reason is because that's how I write. All of my chappies in original stories are cliffs just the same. It's because cliffs are easier to end on for me... :) Thanks!**_

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_**blessedbyartemis11: The size is only because I rarely get time to write. Sorry about that! Yeah, I know. I'm attempting to sort through character based issues this week so you may see a few changes in how I write. Also, this chappie is a bit more detailed than the rest. If I get more people who like it in this style as opposed to the other style, I could simply adopt this one as well. Although its hard to write in because I write creepy stuff mostly when I myself am in a bad mood. It's my form of venting. Thanks for the critiques and keep bringing them in! :D**_

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**Enjoy guys!**

**Disclaimer: I own none of this. If I did, I wouldn't have messed up HoO by throwing in all those love triangles. Actually, it's more of a love hexagon or something 'cause they all seem to connect through one or two people. What's with all this match-making, Riordan? **

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><p>A cold blade pressed against my neck. The wet drew-soaked grass like needles poking into my back. My name, seeming to echo a million times over, being shouted into my ears.<p>

Yet amidst all this one thing bounces around in my mind, one thing that keeps me settled in the real world. This is the one thing that has kept me sane at my mother's house. It is the same thought that kept me from running for all those years.

There are those whose lives mean more than mine. I am simply the body guard.

The body sits like a dead weight, an anvil set upon my chest. The man's body keeps me down, keeps me from struggling.

My eyes follow the cracks in the walls. The simple, grey stone walls. Those same walls which have haunted my nightmares for all those years.

My mother was a wall. Her existence teased me for all those years. She kept me from moving forward, from living a regular life like a regular teen. And at the same time, she kept others from finding me. She kept others from finding my secret. _Her _secret.

Nobody found out about the abuse which occurred in my household. My mother scarcely made appearances, telling others that she was far too sick to come. Which was partially true. She _did _spend most of the time regurgitating whatever she had taken in.

My father was also a wall. Had I known him, had he sent for me, none of this would have happened. I would've been taken from my mother had he shown the decency to take care of his child. Like he never did. Like he isn't doing now.

"You have caused us quite some trouble, little lady," the man on my chest snickers, his knife digging slightly into my neck.

A small, warm drop of blood trickles down my throat. The cold blade digs deeper and deeper still, a searing pain attempting to grab my attention. Although, like my mother, I have become unresponsive.

I struggle to take breath, the fear and weight upon my chest making even that difficult. The sweat pours down my forehead, blinding me as I attempt to blink it out of my eyes.

_Focus. Focus on one point in the distance.  
><em>

My eyes shift to the window and take the whole scene in. the white windowpanes with the peeling paint. The yellowed glass that seems to fall in waves. The blood-red moon reflecting off of my murderer's hand, his blade, his eyes.

_Focus on something, not what happens around you.  
><em>

_Back to the window.  
><em>

A bird rests on the windowsill. An owl. It peers down at me, my fighting yet fainting form. Its golden yellow eyes glow faintly in the dark. Only its silhouette is visible in the fading light, yet I can tell that it watches me. I follow its eyes as it takes in the scene; me, my captor, the room, the stone walls and finally back to me once more. A flicker of recognition enters its face, which I never thought possible in a bird.

Just when I thought the animal would come to my rescue, it leaves with a small flap of its wings.

I can feel myself attempting to call after it, although I can barely take in breath. Instead, I sit there, completely mute, as the man pushes the blade in just far enough.

And, as I fall into nothingness, a single feather floats down onto the grassy ground before me.

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><p><strong>REVIEEEEEEEEW! Also guys, tips are much appreciated as well. I REALLY need help with my writing, especially now that I've got so many projects up. Thanks! :D<strong>


	34. Chapter 34

**I've been trying to upload for a WEEK and FF wouldn't let me! NYAAAAAH!**

**What's worse is I left you guys on a cliffhanger right before FF malfunctioned! I'm SO SORRY!**

**Also, I KNOW its short but I have very little time to write nowadays and I can't seem to write long chapters... It's out of my capability xD**

**Cockapoo: I HOPE MY EXPLANATION HELPED KEEP YOU SANE! xD**

**(: :)**

**GLN3: I'm sorry, it shall be explained (kind of) in this chappie :)**

**(: :)**

**NowayLrdOfShdows: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about them! I just plan on adding them in later or as background since I REALLY suck at writing Tyson and I can't write Grover either... They're quite a difficult style to write in but I will try! **

**(: :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the socks on my ears and the earmuffs on my feet xD**

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><p>The first thought that goes through my mind: <em>I'm alive.<em>

The nightmare was so vivid that I can feel my skin still crawling, the blades of grass on my back, the knife to my throat and the weight on my chest.

I risk opening my eyes and the first thing I see is Nico. His face looks more pale than usual and I can tell from his expression that he's worried. His dark eyes scan mine, looking for answers.

"You were screaming and I tried to wake you up but you wouldn't get up," he says, spilling word after word as if hoping to say them as fast as possible. "Nightmare?"

"Yeah," I croak.

"Get washed up and head to breakfast. There's only about half an hour anyways," he sighs. "We can talk there."

I watch as Nico steps out of Cabin 13, the soft clatter of his sword dragging on the ground fading as he goes.

I grab onto the headboard of my bunk bed, attempting to sit upright. Pain courses through my body, sending me right back down. I try once more, teeth gritted in pain, before finally getting to my feet.

In slow, painful steps, I make my way towards the bathroom. What I see in the mirror is a nightmare of its own.

I seem to have gone completely pale as if the blood had simply drained out of my veins. My clothing is so damp with sweat that attempting to peel it off has become a near impossible task. Although, somehow, I manage to make myself presentable before heading outside.

"You just seem to look more like hell each and every day," Clarisse snickers at me, stopping at the open door frame. "Need some help?"

"I'll let you know that I am _fine_, thank you very much!" I snap back. "And if you'll excuse me, I was just making my way to breakfast."

"Well I'm _sorry _if my truthfulness offended you, but you really do look like you've been through a hurricane," she smirks before leaving, her combat boots making a _click-clack_ sound on the dark hardwood floors.

I step out of the cabin gingerly, still not trusting my balance. But somehow, I manage to drag myself to the dining pavilion and drop myself onto the bench next to Nico.

He slips a small, bright green post-it note into my hand, closing my fingers around it.

"_We can't talk openly, someone will hear us. Just write it down."_

_What am I supposed to write down? _I scribble quickly before tossing the note back.

He scribbles down a few words and passes the sheet back.

_Your dream. What happened?_

I knew he'd pry. I've never had an older brother but I've always seen them in movies. They seem to have a need to go through a younger sibling's privacy. Usually, in movies, they do it for the sake of person gain, blackmail or something. But Nico seems to do it for other reasons. He seems to truly care. He seems to actually want to help, for whatever reason. But it's just a nightmare. _My _nightmare. I don't want to bother him with my dumb little issues. And... I think I don't want to for _other _reasons too.

_I don't remember, _I write back.

He scans the sheet quickly before looking up. His eyes meet mine and I can tell that he doesn't believe me. I can tell in his eyes, that he's still worried. _He's worried about _me_?_

_Tell me later, then, _he writes back.

I still don't want to tell him, though. It's not that I don't trust him. It's just that I don't know what it means myself and I suppose I don't want him to attempt to understand it.

_A murderer, a cold night and an owl. It just doesn't add up._

But I can't keep it to myself. I need to tell someone but I don't know who I can tell. I need someone who won't tell anyone and who won't jump to conclusions.

_Annabeth._


	35. Chapter 35

**I'm BAAAAAACK! xD Sorry for the late-ish update xD**

**First, I'd just like to apologize to Cockapoo... I've made your character a potty-mouth and a bit of a jerk but I PROMISE I will fix it (the jerk part. She will continue to be a bit of a potty-mouth xD) SOOORRY!**

**Cockapoo: Aww! Thanks! I will! :D**

**(: :)**

**GLN3: xD I made Annabeth a bit parental in this chapter... I really am butchering some of these guys, huh? *dies* NO! I GAVE YOU A WHOLE COOKIE! It's right beneath the last response! **

**(: :)**

**Remember to review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO nor do I own Converse. Actually, I own quite a few pairs of Converse (as they are my FAVORITE BRAND EVER!) but I don't own the actual company... yet. xD**

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><p>"Annabeth!" I shouted, waving madly at the blonde.<p>

She sat back to back with Percy at the top of the climbing wall, a book clutched in one hand and Percy's hand in another.

The sight of the two of them together surprised me. Not the idea of them together, but the fact of how late it was. Three in the morning was a bit late to just sit there and enjoy the scenery. Which is exactly why I was hoping Annabeth would be alone.

"Layla?" she shouted back. "What are you doing here? It's three o'clock in the morning! You should be in bed."

"I could say the same for you," she chuckled, slipping into the safety harness and beginning to make her way up the side of the rocky wall.

"We're on patrol," she explains nervously. By the slight quiver of her voice, I can tell she's blushing. I guess she understands how many weird conclusions I could jump to at the moment.

"Well, I'm coming up and I need to chat. Percy, scram."

"Aww, c'mon," he pleas mockingly. "Let me stay! I promise I won't tell anyone..."

"Fine, stay. But don't you _dare _spill this to anyone! I haven't even told my brother yet..." I admit as I pull myself over the edge of the wall and onto the top. I drag myself over to the pair, feeling like a bit of an intruder.

"Well, what's up?" Annabeth asks, her voice now slightly tinged with worry. "Nightmare?"

I nod slightly, my hands clenching involuntarily as I stare at my feet.

"We've all had them," she says soothingly, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I'm starting to get the feeling that Annabeth has a motherly streak, something that's kind of weird since I've seen her point a dagger at her best friends' chests.

"But you have to tell us what happened in it," Percy adds. "Sometimes it's just a dream but most of the time it isn't. Like, even if you don't expect it. Annabeth, remember that time Malcolm had that weird dream about the chees―"

"What he means," Annabeth interrupted. "Is that sometimes the gods try to communicate to us through our dreams."

"Oh..." I say simply, now regretting not having told Nico. He had a reason to pry and now I know what it is.

"Oh...?"

"Nico asked me what it was this morning at breakfast. I didn't tell him, though."

Her face grows solemn and her hands trace the racing stripe on Percy's Converse. He takes Annabeth's hand in his and gives it a soft squeeze.

"He... he worries," Percy explains. "Like I said before, after Bianca... you can't really blame him for it. He's scared of losing another sister..."

"I get it," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

"B-but anyways," Annabeth stutters. "Your dream..."

They sat there as I recounted the story, spilling as many details as I could remember in hopes that maybe they could explain it all to me.

"Owls are symbols of Athena but that's all I could understand of it," Annabeth sighed, clearly becoming frustrated. "Can you describe the man?"

"I... I don't remember much about him. He was large and he seemed to have some sort of powerful aura about him... there was something engraved in the knife too..."

"What was it?" Annabeth asked eagerly. She was like a detective on a case, her eyes getting a faraway look when she thought and returning to focus on my whenever I told her something new.

"Well, it was in Greek and I don't really know much Greek..."

"Draw the letters for me."

I drew all I remembered into the soft gravel. The first of the two was clearly recognizable due to the fact that it was simply the letter A. Yet the second was a weird symbol, curved and strange.

"Your assassin sure was full of himself," Percy chuckled as he stared at the letters.

"Why's that?" I ask.

"Alpha and Omega," Annabeth explained. "The beginning and the end."

"So he's obviously immortal," Percy continued.

"But the inscription is logically impossible," Annabeth said, eyes shut tight in frustration and a hand stroking her brow. "You can't be both the beginning _and _the end! He has to have come from somewhere!"

"Who do we know that is ruthless enough to kill a sixteen year old, is so full of themselves that they'd call themselves both the beginning and the end, and that is immortal?" Percy asked, deep in concentration as well.

"Zeus," said a voice from behind me, causing me to jump. "It's totally Zeus. Who else would be such a conceited, murderous bitch?"

"Alisa!" Annabeth scolded. "You can't go talking about immortals like that!"

"Let him come," she chuckled. "Not like I care if I get fried."

Annabeth let out a small sigh, scooting sideways as to let Alisa join us.

"Having a party after hours without me, eh? Not cool, guys," she chuckles. "So why are we talking about conceited and deadly immortals?"

"N-nothing," I mutter.

"The moment those words leave _your _mouth, I _know _something's up. Spill, child."

I let out a bit of a sigh before retelling my story.

"So I see you're in a bit of a pickle. I'm not really in the mood for being helpful though, so I think it best I just be going to bed..." Alisa lets out a fake yawn.

"Not so fast," Percy smiles mischievously. "You heard the story so now you've got to help."

"Fine," she sighs. "I say we go on a quest. She's obviously part of that prophecy anyways. And I bet all of us are too. We might as well."

"Chiron will say no..." Annabeth says, knowing she's fighting a losing battle.

"Who cares," Alisa smirks. "We've done worse, eh? Let's go for it!"

And that is how our adventure began. A simple four-letter sentence.

Let's go for it.


	36. Chapter 36

**I KNOW! IM LAAAATE! *dies***

**But I didn't forget about you guys! I promise! I'm just SUPER busy...**

**ruerox11: Her cockiness was unintentional *dies* Originally, I had created her to become Layla's best friend but I accidentally made her a jerk... So I WILL fix that!**

**(: :)**

**tlc234: Thank you! And I will be uploading more often :) It's just because I've got science fair to worry about at the moment... **

**(: :)**

**GLN3: xD I'm glad my quest is appreciated! xD But I get your pain. I have to write a paper on Athena so I understand your pain. xD**

**(: :)**

**Cockapoo: I'LL FIX IT! I PROOOOMISE! Although, if it makes you feel better, ALL the characters swear every once in a while. But I WILL fix the cockiness issue. If I can't, tho, I'll let you make another character! It's not too late to add someone new if you'd like :) And yes, Nico is coming xD **

**(: :)**

**Disclaimer: The purple butterflies own AAAALL! Except for PJO, sadly. And so I don't own it either xD**

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><p>The darkness engulfs us, tendrils of it grasping at our bodies, keeping us in its safe shadow. Of course, the darkness was a good thing for all of us, keeping us unseen as we snuck out of camp, but it was even better for Nico and I. Call me strange, but it was almost rejuvenating. Although I hadn't slept properly in weeks, I felt like I'd just taken down twenty bucks worth of Starbucks mochaccino's. In other words, I was giddy and excited, more so than usual.<p>

"What's up with you?" Malcolm asks curiously, his face serious and solemn. "Why so happy?"

"I don't know," I whisper giddily, bobbing up and down with each step. "I just feel... excited."

"How could you be excited?" Alisa asks, rubbing her eyes. "It's freaking four in the freaking morning and we've been walking for a freaking hour. I feel like I'm gonna drop dead."

"Interesting choice of words," Nico smirks, hugging her from behind. "I wouldn't use them knowing my dad. He doesn't seem to understand figures of speech."

"Shut up, you," she smiles, taking his hand and pulling him closer. She kisses his cheek, and I feel like I'm intruding. Watching a girl kiss your brother is one of the weirdest things in the world.

"Keep it PG, kids," Percy chuckles, dragging Nico with him. "We've got little one's with us," he smiles, pointing at Malcolm and I.

"Hey, I'm only two years younger than you are," I say, punching his arm playfully. "And it's _you and Annabeth_ who need to stay PG."

Of course, that earns me a noogie but it's not like I care. I simply shrug. "It's the truth."

I listen quietly to the snow crunching under my feet, the soft hooting coming from the owls perched nearby. The darkness simply makes the world more beautiful. The shadows my childhood friends were always scared of seem inviting and friendly to me. The cold surrounding my shoulders causes me to shiver although it's the only thing that keeps me from simply stopping to enjoy the darkness. Because the fast we walk, the faster we get to Manhattan and the faster we get to be able to stop. And, of course, stopping means sleeping bags and warmth.

And so, we trudge on. My sneakers are now completely soaked in a mixture of snow and sweat, my hands fiddling with the zipper on my coat. Of course, I had come unprepared. As a California kid, I'd never had any need for a jacket or boots and so I never owned any. But here in New York, I'm as good as dead if I don't have a jacket, at the least. But boots in the outside world, where it snows (unlike at camp), are mandatory.

A loud thump comes from just ahead of me, followed by a soft cry of pain. My eyes search the ground. There's Annabeth, hands clutching her ankle. Her eyes shut tightly in pain, eyebrows scrunched together.

"You okay, Annabeth?" Percy asks worriedly. He offers her a hand and she takes it. He pulls her up beside him, pulls her arm around his shoulders and tries to help her walk.

"I'll be fine," she answers through gritted teeth. Although we all know she's not fine. Her clenched body, shaking hands and reluctance to move all prove that point further.

"Why don't we stop to rest?" Percy offers. He tries to set Annabeth down but she refuses.

"I'll be fine, Percy. Let's keep moving."

"No," he insists. "We aren't going any further. Plus, everyone else is tired too."

"Amen to that!" Alisa smiles, dropping down onto the ground and pulling her bag off her back. "Let's set up camp!"

"Give me a second," Nico smiles, eyes gleaming mischievously. He whispers a few words under his breath, eyes shut tightly. A soft sizzling sound reaches my ears and I turn to see a large tent appearing out of nowhere.

"Nice work, Di Angelo, but I'm sure stealing is illegal," Thalia smirks, pointing at a silver tent that she equally pulled from nowhere.

"Nothing's illegal unless you get caught, Grace."

A scowl forms on her face at the sound of her surname and she walks into her tent. "Pick a tent and sleep, people. We've got a long day tomorrow."


	37. Chapter 37

**Sorry its been so long but I've had science fair and a bagillion OTHER things to work on too *dies* In other words, I am busy as usual. Life just doesn't want to give me a break, does it?**

**Cockapoo: Thank you! :D And yes, I know, but she's an LA girl xD AKA: no jackets xD Yeah, I saw! I loved it! :D :D :D**

**(: :)**

**GLN3: xD Well, now you know my main rule of life xD But my catchphrase is "keep it PG!" *smh* xD**

**(: :)**

**Disclaimer: You seriously think I own PJO? If I did, I'd make a character for myself and make her date one of the Stolls xD **

**Remember to review! I love reading them :D (And if anyone can guess my small musical reference I'll be impressed xD)**

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><p>My chest heaves as it drags in the last of my ragged breaths. My hand slides weakly outward, an attempt to grab onto whatever reality I can manage. The tip of my middle finger gently touches the wall, that cold, cold wall. The wall that envelops me every night haunts me every day. It's an ever present omen of death, always enveloping me.<p>

There he stands, his back facing me, my murderer. The one who leaves me every night within an inch of death. His hands are cold and his soul is colder. His breath is equally ragged but also forced, as if asthmatic. He turns and his pointed facial features seem to tease me. He knows that I understand what comes next. He knows that my death is near once more. He knows that I know the same.

He strokes his blade as a cold smile forms on his face. No, not a smile. A smirk.

In swift, cat-like movements, the man makes his way toward me. He grabs at my wrist, forcing me to stay put, as he forces the cold blade to my neck. His cold, blue eyes bare into mine and I feel a flicker of recognition from inside of me. I've seen those eyes. I've seen them before... somewhere.

I shut my own eyes tightly, forcing myself to imagine other things. I clench my fingers into a fist, my nails digging into my palms so tightly that I'm afraid it'll bleed. My feet are bound to the ground by rough ropes that I have long since stopped trying to fight. Still, the skin around my ankles is rough and raw, pulsating with pain that doesn't seem to die down. It's as if every single nerve in my body was at attention. The pain is unbearable.

_You've seen me fall down. Just let me die here._

But just letting me die seems to be the opposite of his plan. This time, he speaks no words yet the look on his face and the darkness in his eyes say it all. He won't let me go easily.

I breathe in a ragged breath as he slowly digs the knife into the flesh of my cheek. Warm, sticky blood pours down my cheek, mingling with my soft tears. A small sob forms in my throat yet I refuse to let it out. I refuse to give my captor the pleasure of seeing my pain. I refuse to let him win.

His knife makes its way to my lips, digging into the soft and vulnerable skin, ripping it in painfully slow motions. I feel as if I am about to cry out yet I pull myself through. And although all my instincts tell me to fight, I stay completely still. My ADHD screams at me to punch the man yet I force myself to stay down. _If he is powerful enough to capture me then he must be powerful enough to throw me back down._

The smile on his face can only be described as pestiferous. I stare into his eyes, daring him to go further, daring him to do so much as touch me. Yet he cares not, doing as he pleases with the knife, slitting my skin slowly. Ever so slowly.

A soft hooting noise echoes from the window. My eyes flicker upward, searching for the source of the noise. Two large eyes stare back down at mine. There it is, as always, my saving grace. My owl.

It cocks its head to the right as if attempting to understand the scene before him. And then a small recognition finds its way into his large eyes and he hops through the broken window pane. Yet he just stays there, wings slightly extended. In the position that the animal is in, it looks as if it is about to take flight yet its feet are stuck for some reason. He simply stands there.

From the same broken window pane, another animal pulls through. My vision is so affected with the blood, sweat and tears on my face that, at first, I don't make it out. Yet I soon realize what it is. A snake, scaly and bright green, its pink, forked tongue flicking back and forth.

It makes its way to the owl, resting itself beside it. It curls itself up into a coil as if prepared to pounce. But, like the owl, it does nothing. The pair does nothing.

Yet when the man lifts his knife once more, the owl takes flight, followed promptly by the snake as it slithers its way towards me. The animals attack the man, yet he quickly swats them away.

I lie there, bleeding myself to death, as the animals fight off the man, pestering him into insanity.

And slowly, I drag in one last breath and my eyes close for what seems like the last time.


	38. Chapter 38

**I'm not dead xD But anyways... Yeah, I just hit a wall with this one last time and I kind of felt bad for making Alisa such a jerk so I wrote this little tidbit.**

**Keyword: Little**

***dies* I think this is the shortest chapter yet **

**GLN3: Kind of... But not exactly. There are a few other pieces of the puzzle that I haven't added in yet ;)**

**(: :)**

**Cockapoo: Sorry! xD Didn't mean to scare you xD **

**(: :)**

**I don't own PJO. Seriously, do I LOOK like Riordan to you?**

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><p>When I opened my eyes, it was like awaking from one nightmare and entering another. But this one was an almost welcome one at times. The darkness had a sort of opened-armed feeling as if enveloping me in an embrace rather than attempting to hurt or kidnap me. The trees seemed to shake in the wind, hitting the tent we had all been squished into and casting shadows throughout. The lightning seemed more majestic than evil, although it still caused shivers up my spine and anxiety to fill me. The loud pitter patter of rain fell, hitting the tarp at a regular beat.<p>

But what seemed ridiculous is that rather than fearing the curtain of darkness around me or the shadows I feared the rain and lightning, the storm itself. My hands gripped at the material of my sleeping bag, threatening to rip it in my grasp at every clap of thunder. My hands shook and my body heat seemed to evaporate into the night. A headache pounded my brain in painful, unstoppable throbs. It was like dying but worse.

A hand fell on my shoulder. "You okay, kiddo?"

Alisa.

"I-I don't want you to just tell me everything I've done wrong," I said, the words flying out of my mouth one after the other as if chased out. "And I know that's exactly what you'll do!"

"Let's take this outside," she sighed. "This is going to become a fighting match quick and I don't want to wake everyone up."

I slipped into my jacket and put my hair into a tight ponytail before pulling the hood of my sweater overtop and stepping outside. My teeth clenched, eyes set forward. I began playing furiously with the hem of my jacket, keeping my face downcast. It seemed to be the only way to keep myself from bursting into screams.

"Look, just because I talk bad about Zeus and we don't see eye to eye does not mean I'm some sort of badmouthing ass, got it?" Alisa said sternly. But when she saw my nervous ticking, my hands choking the life out of my jacket, her eyes seemed to soften. Her voice grew softer too. "Y-you had another nightmare, didn't you?"

My eyes stayed trained to the ground, heart beating a mile a minute as if attempting to break out of my chest.

"Another nightmare about him..."

I nodded softly and was surprised by her arms around me.

"Hey, look at me."

My eyes slowly looked upward, setting themselves on hers. My nervous movements still continued as the storm grew even stronger.

"That's not all, is it?"

I shook my head softly; face burrowing itself into her jacket. She seemed to tense at the movement but soon just gave in, patting my head awkwardly and whispering calming words into my ear until I seemed to calm down.

"You're scared... of something."

I nodded again, comforted by her embrace.

"Since you're a child of Hades, I'm guessing it's not the dark," she said, putting the pieces together as if they were some big puzzle. "You're dad doesn't have good relations with Poseidon or Zeus –heck, he doesn't have good relations with _anyone_ really– so either you're scared of the rain or the lightning. And from the way you seem to jump whenever lightning strikes, I'd say that's your fear."

I nod slightly, letting her walk me back to the girls tent.

"You're not so bad," she adds as a I curl myself into a ball in my sleeping bag. "Don't be a hot-shot and I might just like you."


	39. Chapter 39

**I'm so soooooorry! But I'm back :D Not dead and back xD**

**Disclaimer: I've had too many coffees this morning and now I'm really tired. Too tired, in fact, to write a really creative disclaimer. And so, I'd like to offer you something else in trade. Please go google a blobfish. Trust me, its a lot more interesting than this long disclaimer xD**

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><p>The water falls in heavy drips. The sound of it falling on the tent is almost lulling like a child's lullaby whispered into scared ears. My hand reaches out for the softness and warmth of my blanket but finds something softer and damp.<p>

My eyes flutter open in surprise, arm springing back from the mysterious figure before me. All I see is a head of soft blonde curls. I sit up quickly, eyes falling on the young boy before me.

I smile as I recognize the young figure. His blonde hair is still damp from the rain, pale skin still covered in mud. His damaged hand lies on the pillow as if dropped there. His mouth is slightly parted and one curl of hair has fallen into his eyes. I attempt to brush it away but it just flops back into place.

Noticing that he's still deep in slumber, I pull the blankets up around his small body and plant a small kiss on his forehead before slipping into my jacket. The poor thing. Marcus must have had some kind of nightmare. Why else would he sneak into the girl's tent?

_Wait._

Marcus wasn't with us when we first left.

My thoughts wander as I attempt to understand the boy. How did he know we had gone? We had only just left. And even if he knew, how did he know where we were going? How did he reach us?

The moisture in his hair meant that he had most likely just arrived. Although the idea of him walking such a distance seems almost preposterous.

As I step into the morning air the first thing I notice is the cold. It's as if the cold spell that had befallen us yesterday were to worsen, freezing our wet bodies and causing the air to be thick with moisture.

"Layla?"

I spin around quickly, realizing how strange it must be for me to be standing in the rain so early in the morning. But at the sight of Malcolm, I quickly relax. He's just starting to leave his tent, still in his grey pyjama bottoms and black muscle shirt.

"Hey Malcolm." I smile half-heartedly, waving him over, into the dripping rain. He smiles softly, pulling a blanket around his strong shoulders. His eyes meet mine, questioning my reasons for being out so early. I hit him with the same look.

"I'm an early riser," he explains, hiding under his now soaked blanket.

"At five in the morning?" I ask, giving him a weird look.

"Fine," he smiles. "Not _that _early. Usually I get up at about six or seven. But I got up a bit early today."

"And why's that?" I smirk. "You have a reason to be up at five A.M?"

He smiles again, walking closer until he's beside me. His hands fiddle with the blanket, trying to keep it on his head despite the violent, warm wind that threatens to pull it away. Eventually, he gives up trying to control it and wraps it up in his arms. "Perhaps not."

"Should've put on a hat, though." I unzip my jacket and pull of my sweater quickly, handing it to him while attempting to zip my jacket back up. He takes it but doesn't put it on. "It'll fit," I chuckle.

"I know," he laughs. "But won't you get cold?"

"Nah," I smile, finally tugging the zipper on the jacket. "I took Annabeth's jacket. I trust she wears sensible, climate appropriate clothing."

He laughs softly at the comment, slipping the over-sized sweater over his head. His eyes meet mine for a moment and I look away. I feel like my mind is racing, trying to pull together ideas and thoughts to keep my mind off the grey eyes that seem to linger on me.

"We should start planning strategies," Annabeth yawned, snapping me out of my thoughts. She stares at us awkwardly, but eventually gives another yawn. I take a canteen of coffee from the cooler and toss it to her. She catches it, nodding in thanks as she pours herself a cup of the cold drink. I watch in amusement as she takes a sip and wrinkles her nose but downs the drink quickly. Her eyes fall on Malcolm and I once more and she frowns for a split second but soon her frown disappears and she smiles again. "Have a nice morning?"

Only then do I take a moment to look around. The rain seems to have actually stopped in the last few minutes. She clears her throat, expecting an answer. I nod a hint too enthusiastically and she tosses me a strange look.

"How's your ankle?" Malcolm asks nonchalantly, taking the canteen of coffee from her hand and pouring himself a cup as well. He manages to take it down without looking _too _disgusted by its cold temperature.

"Urg," Annabeth grunts. "Don't get me started on that thing."

Malcolm smiles softly, chuckling to himself. "Can I take a look?" he asks, pointing to her foot. She shrugs. "I don't know how much good that'll do."

"I could call out Alisa..." I offer, watching as Annabeth hobbles over to a park bench and sits down.

"No," Malcolm answers, helping Annabeth sit. "I'll be fine. Athena has many different aspects. Most people just think of us as architects and battle strategists. But Athena was wisdom in all areas and her children vary." He smiled softly, pulling off Annabeth's shoes and socks before compairing one foot to the other. "It just so happens that I'm better with anatomy and science than architecture."

Annabeth smirked and then winced as Malcolm put some pressure on her foot. "It depends on what side of Athena you caught on with. But whoever your father really affects it too." Her look hardened slightly at the word _father_ but she pushed it away and her regular smile returned.

He probes her foot gently, earning another wince. He sets it down gently and turns to Annabeth. "Just ice it regularly but I recommend you get Alisa to take a look at it too."

She smiles down at her brother, patting his head as if he were a dog who had just mastered a trick. "Fine, fine. But I'm not going to keep you guys from making progress just because of this. We'll go back to walking as soon as everyone's up."

As if on cue, Alisa walks over. "Somebody call my name?" She smiles widely, pulling her iPod out of her sweater pocket, changing the song and putting in her earbuds. She practically dances over to Annabeth, taking the coffee, flipping open the lid and wrinkling her nose. "Is it cold?"

I nod, laughing slightly at her reaction to the cold coffee. She shrugs, pouring herself a glass anyways. "What the heck, I might as well get some cold coffee while it's still around." She sips it quietly, sitting down on the bench beside Annabeth. "When are we gonna start moving again?"

"Not until Annabeth's foot heals," Percy yawns, dragging himself out of the tent and walking over to Annabeth. He rests a hand on her shoulder, kissing her forehead gently.

"You aren't one to get up early," she teases, handing him the last of the cold coffee.

"None of us Big Three kids are," he says, winking at me. I laugh, knowing how hard it is to drag Nico out of bed in the morning. "Where are our dear friends Nico and Thalia anyways?"

"Thalia's still getting some z's," Alisa says, somehow still able to hear our outside conversation despite having her earbuds on full blast. "And Nico is _never _awake before eight."

I laugh, knowing that what she's said about Nico is true. If truth be told, I've _never _seen him up before nine.

Then I remember Marcus. "O-Oh, does anyone know how Marcus got here?" I ask, brushing my wet hair out of my eyes. Malcolm points to my left, raising an eyebrow.

"You really didn't see the hippalecantryon?" he asks, laughing slightly. It's been there all morning.

My eyes turn to the creature, recognizing it instantly. It's the same animal I had found only a week or so ago. But it feels like ages. So much has happened since then. My life has gone completely upside-down.

I must have zoned out a bit, because Alisa runs a hand in front of me and I snap out of my trance. "You okay?"

I nod, still silent, feeling somewhat awkward having everyone stare at me.

"Why's it here?" I ask. "How did Marcus find it again?"

"When we found you guys at the border, we decided we might as well keep him around," Annabeth explains. "Strategic reasons. He'd make a great ally."

"But isn't it a monster?" I ask sceptically, raising an eyebrow.

"I suppose it is," Percy smiled. "But so is Mrs. O'Leary. They can be tamed, you know. Just don't get too attached unless you _really _know how they are."

"Plus," Annabeth continues. "You tamed it once, didn't you?"

I laugh softly. "I suppose I did."

Marcus steps out at that moment, rubbing his eyes. His oversized, stereotypically yellow raincoat looks so absolutely adorable on him that I have to fight the urge to pick him up and twirl him around. He yawns, blonde hair floating freely in the warm wind. He seems angelic, as always, and adorable. The cuteness practically assaulted my thoughts.

"Morning," he yawns. "Are we going over battle plans?"

"What the _hell _are you doing here?" Annabeth snaps, throwing her arms up into the air in frustration. "I thought I _told _you to stay at camp! What did I tell you about coming with us?"

"You told me to keep myself away from the Apollo sharp-shooters when they're mad, keep away from an angry Aires kid and 'tread softly and carry a big stick'," he smirks, earning a laugh from all of us but Annabeth.

"And...?" she asks impatiently.

"Hmm..." he says in mock concentration, rubbing his chin. "I think you also said something about not following you."

"Yes, I did, Marcus," she sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "And _why _didn't you listen?"

He pulls his puppy dog eyes from nowhere, standing there like a poor, begging homeless kid. "I-I didn't want to be alone..."

Malcolm _awww_'s and I clutch Marcus to my chest, rubbing his hair like I would a little child.

"Can we keep him, honey?" Percy smirks, acting as if we were trying to adopt an adorable mutt off the streets.

"Shut up, Percy," she answers, trying to look serious but, at the same time, trying to stifle a laugh. Then she turns to the boy in my arms, fully serious once more. "You're only coming with us because we can't turn back now."

She huffs, turning her back to us and walking back to her tent. "I'm going to go wake up Thalia. You guys... do something."

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><p><strong>There, as promised, a much longer than usual chapter xD I'll try to write them a bit longer although, if in a rush, they will be short as usual. Remember to R&amp;R! :D<strong>


	40. Chapter 40

**Sorry it took so long to update! As I said in my other story, I've been on and off of planes since I last updated. It's quite a pain but I suppose there isn't much I can do about it *sigh* **

**Cockapoo: xD Thanks. I know I'm not dead too xD**

**(: :)**

**PJOHPHGlove: Aww, thanks! :D *hugs***

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**ruerox11: xD The children have been considered and an update has been made! xD**

**Le me does not own le PJO ;{D**

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><p>Just as Annabeth suggested, we did something. Well, something is an understatement. We pretty much did everything.<p>

After packing up everything and wandering aimlessly (acting as if "scouting the area"), Annabeth finally appeared with Thalia. Thalia smiled widely at us, Annabeth frowned. Of course, she still wasn't too supportive of the fact that Marcus was now with us. Then again, I wasn't either. But, of course, there wasn't much I could do about it now was there? I mean, we couldn't turn back. I suppose we could get Nico to shadow travel the boy over. But I find his company comforting. Of all the people I know, the ones I seem to trust most are Malcolm and Marcus. Something about the pair of Athena kids makes you just want to hug them and spill your secrets. Its hard to describe. Then again, these are always the kind of people who die in movies for knowing too much information.

I smile and hold Marcus in my lap, Malcolm half asleep beside me on a bench. Percy smiles at Annabeth and her expression softens as she hobbles over and sits on his lap. With Thalia awake, we begin to make plans, ideas overlapping each other.

"Perhaps we should just keep moving."

"We should take a break."

"Car. Thats what we need!"

"Why don't we shadow travel?"

I sigh, setting Marcus on the seat beside me and getting to my feet. I roll my eyes and let out a wolf whistle, silencing everyone suddenly. They stare at me and I cringe slightly at the look on Annabeths face. But I push her aside and sigh again. "Can anyone drive?"

Percy, Annabeth, Thalia and Nico raise their hands and I nod, an idea forming itself in my mind.

"I say we walk until we reach Queens and rent a car. Then we have Thalia drive. Done," I say, pushing the hair from my eyes and tying it back as I speak.

Annabeth seems to process the idea before speaking. "We could just take the subway. Rail starts nearby I think."

"Yeah," Percy agrees. "Montauk branch. It should go from a few miles from here all the way down to Babylon branch which should get us to this one stop that connects to the Manhattan lines."

"You tell us this now?" Alisa asks incredulously. "We've been walking for hours and there's been a subway the whole time?"

"Uhh, yeah..." Marcus says with a shrug. Of course, the idea of a subway never really hit me. But I suppose subways are a big thing here in Manhattan and Long Island so I guess it was obvious. "Don't they have subways where you're from? They're amazing feats of technol-"

"I know what a subway is," Alisa scoffs, rolling her eyes. "I lived right next to one back home. But I assumed that if there were an easier mode of travel than walking we would've picked it by now!"

I sit her back down, hoping she'll calm herself a bit. Of course, she doesn't but at least now she's not on her feet. Then again, most ADHD kids will still be jumpy whether they are sitting or standing.

She simply huffs and crosses her arms. I sigh, rolling my eyes. "We take the subway. Simple," I say. "No more discussions or we'll be at each others throats."

...:..:...

A few hours later, all of us were exhausted. Annabeth was still limping, her face still contorted in pain. Percy was complaining about how his arm hurt (due to the fact that he was practically carrying Annabeth at this point) but it was all good natured. Even Alisa started to lighten up.

"Hey, kid," Alisa whispered to me, poking my arm as we pulled in to one of our last stops. I turned slightly.

"Yeah?" I ask curiously. After spending so much time kind of pushing me away, her actions lately seems so friendly that I'm almost worried. Of course, it's stupid to be worried. She's just human, or as human as we demigods get. Yet I find myself worried when I'm around her. I mean, I know I can trust her but I worry she might do something rash.

"Look," she says, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "I get it. You probably don't want to but I'm assuming we'll have to split up later. This means you, Mc Smarty Pants and I will most likely be grouped together. I'm assuming Annabeth, Percy, Nico and Thalia will go all parental and drag Marcus with them."

I shrugged. I agreed completely with the idea of it but I had the sudden feeling that it wouldn't work out. I mean, I have nothing against any of them but I worry about Malcolm and Alisa. They don't seem like they would get along.

"Eh, don't you worry, kid!" Alisa said with a chuckle, clapping me on the back, hard. "I promise not to make a mess and threaten our lives."

I laughed softly at her enthusiasm, glad to have some reason to laugh. I haven't been doing much of that lately.

The subway arrived and we all hopped off, running over to the next subway stop without losing anyone or anything. But hey, this is Manhattan. You can never be too careful. It could take you hours just to circle around one subway line.

And, because it's Manhattan, that's exactly what we had to do.


	41. Chapter 41

**Sorry, went to Washington DC for a few days and just got back :D**

**This AMAZING chapter is brought to you by the most awesome Cockapoo! :D Please go bow down to her awesome ASAP! She's actually the creator of the character Alisa (except I kind of changed the character Alisa a bit xD).**

**Ruerox11: Yes, I'm back! *happy dances with you* And don't worry, Alisa is very, very, very important to the story and she will not make a mess of things. She promises you she will attempt not to threaten anyone's life. And I shall be using that nickname more often then xD**

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**PJOHPHGlove: Layla is a child of Hades! And yes, people seem to have liked the idea of McSmarty Pants xD**

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**Cary11: I shall! :D**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING. PJO owns itself with Riordan somewhere in there. I don't even own this chapter, just my own characters. THANK YOU COCKAPOO FOR SHARING SOME OF YOUR AWESOME!**

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><p>"I'm hungry," Alisa announces, looking around Fifth Avenue. "Oh, look! Starbucks! Let's go, I really want a frap right now."<p>

"No," Annabeth snaps at her, leaning against Percy for support. "This is not the time to run around getting sugar highs! We need to keep looking. Catch another subway."

"You need a break too," Alisa retorts. "Your ankle is in no shape to be lugged all over New York. You need to sit down and relax, and Percy needs a break from carrying you everywhere. I'm going to Starbucks, you can come if you want or leave without me. Up to you."

"I'll come," I sigh tiredly, knowing that to some extent, she has a point. My feet are achy, and the thought of food is enough to convince me. Besides, when Alisa makes up her mind, she's impossible to argue with. And if she really gets upset then Nico gets angry with whoever made her upset and everything goes downhill from there. I look over at my brother, who's keeping an eye on our surroundings. Paranoid, yes, but he'll probably save our lives one day.

He starts to move and for a moment I reach for the dagger I'm carrying inside my jacket, but then I realize that he isn't responding to a threat only he's seen, he's just following Alisa down the street towards the café.

Percy mutters something and bends down, lifting Annabeth completely off the ground and carrying her after them, Marcus scurrying along with him.

"Coming?" Malcolm asks me. He's staring at me, and I get the feeling he's nervous about something. I look around, but there's nothing, just everyday people doing whatever they do in New York.

"Yeah," I say, giving him a quick smile and walking towards the rest of our group with him.

"Come on, you guys!" Alisa shouts from in front. "You can have your little moment later!"

I raise an eyebrow at her, not sure what she means, but I forget about that when I hear Malcolm coughing.

"Sorry," he says, his face a little red as the coughs stop. "Something got stuck in my throat."

Nodding, I walk into Starbucks as Nico holds the door open for everyone. Percy takes Annabeth to a secluded little booth and she sighs with relief as she sinks into the soft, pale green leather. The rest of us join them, except for Alisa, who after asking us quickly runs up to the counter to order.

"How does she always have so much energy?" Percy asks the table, looking confused.

"It's how she is," Nico chuckles, his laugh rumbling in his chest. "Constantly running haywire."

"So what's the plan?" Annabeth asks, looking at Malcolm. He has this crease on his forehead as he brushes back his hair and leans forward, looking tired.

"The plan is to talk about everything but that," Alisa sings, sliding a tray covered in drinks and pastries down the table. "Let's just pretend we're normal teenagers hanging out."

"Normal teenagers carrying enough weapons to create a mini-arsenal," Malcolm says, and she laughs, climbing over me so she can cuddle into Nico.

"Irrelevant technicalities," Percy mumbles, and I laugh. "What?" he says, sounding defensive. "You date a kid from the Athena cabin and see if you don't end up shooting off bigger words than you normally use."

Malcolm starts coughing again from across the table and Annabeth pats him hard on the back, looking worried. "You okay, Malcolm? Are you falling sick? We can stop by a drugstore and pick up some medicine if you want some."

"Coffee," Malcolm says hoarsely, and downs some of the drink Alisa had brought for him.

"Ouch!" Alisa gasps suddenly, and we all turn to her. She's holding up her left hand, and I can see blood bubbling out from a small cut right on the tip of her ring finger.

"What did you do?" I ask, taking her hand and examining it. The cut is small but it seems to be deep, and already the entire fingertip is covered in blood, which continues to spurt out.

"Cut myself on that!" She points to the plastic cover of her frappucino, which she'd taken off so she could eat the whipped cream off the top.

"It's not that sharp," Annabeth says, leaning forward to pick up the plastic, which has a faint red streak on its edge.

"It's a papercut," Percy says in a bored voice, twirling one of Annabeth's blonde curls around his finger. "Relax. It could be a lot worse."

"But it's bleeding so much!" Alisa practically screams, and Malcolm shushes her as people look around.

"She just got a papercut, it's okay!" Annabeth yells at everyone, and people stop staring.

"You're scared of blood?" Marcus asks, looking surprised. When she shoots him a deadly glare, he cowers slightly and mumbles, "Well, you're a daughter of Apollo. It doesn't exactly make sense."

"It's my blood," Alisa whimpers, ignoring Percy's persistent eye-rolling across the table.

"Here," Nico says. He leans over both of us and grabs a napkin from the edge of the table, wrapping it tightly around her finger and holding it there, pressuring the cut. The brown material starts to turn red seconds after it makes contact with her skin.

"I have a band-aid," Annabeth says, holding one out across the table. "Put that on."

"Thanks," Alisa smiles shakily. Nico wipes as much blood off her finger as he can while the cut is still bleeding and then carefully wraps the band-aid around it.

"Better?" he asks.

"A bit," she says, tilting her finger to examine it. The band-aid was slowly turning red. "I'll be fine."  
>Taking her hand, Nico bends down to kiss her finger and she releases a silly little giggle, making me want to cover my ears. How my brother can act that mushy I'll never understand, considering that he spends a lot of his time scaring other people – although I'll admit he doesn't exactly do that on purpose.<br>Across the table Percy and Annabeth have decided to ignore everyone else and are whispering in each other's ears while Marcus tries to stifle his laughter at the sight of them.

"Thaaank youuu," Alisa breathes into Nico's ear, and I start to regret sitting next to them. It gets worse when I see Nico's hands appear – one on her waist and another behind her neck, and then he starts to kiss her.

To avoid watching the girl who's practically my closest female friend passionately kiss my brother, which is a very awkward and uncomfortable experience, I turn to see Malcolm red in the face again. But this time he's laughing and trying to hide it.

"Look," he whispers, pointing beneath the table. Nico and Alisa are still…yeah, and directly across the table from them, Percy and Annabeth are doing exactly the same thing. "It's like a mirror image, only the people have changed," he chortles. "I think Percy tried to copy Nico's technique."

I snort, and he holds his hands up in a don't-shoot-me gesture. If I look closely I can see that he's right, that Percy's almost mirroring Nico's every move, but I really, really don't want to look. We sit in silence for a few minutes, Malcolm staring out the window and Marcus playing with a piece of cake, while I pretend that there's no one else in our booth.

"Hey, Nico," Malcolm says suddenly, turning his head to look at Nico. "Outside, third window. The man in the red hat."

My brother and Alisa stay locked in each other's arms, pressed dangerously close together, for another few moments, and then she pulls away from him, slapping his head playfully when he gives her a confused look.

Staring out the window over Alisa's head, Nico scans the area and looks directly at me moments later.

"We need to get out," he says. "And split up. Everyone take as many roundabout ways as you need to, but we'll meet by the lake in Central Park."

"Malcolm and Layla, you two leave first, you're on the outside seats," Annabeth says, and I can see her eyes turning analytical again. "Marcus…"

"Does he have horns?" Marcus gasped, staring at the man Malcolm had indicated.

"You stay with me and Annabeth," Percy told him sternly. "Nico, you're with Alisa…just no fooling off, okay?"

"Don't worry; I'll keep my hands to myself." Nico rolls his eyes, adding under his breath, "If she wants me to."

"Just because you can shadow-travel away whenever there's any trouble doesn't mean you can goof off all the time," Percy snapped.

"Shut up," Alisa retorts, quickly getting defensive. "Just because you can't keep away from Annabeth for five seconds doesn't mean you have to be so mean."

"Everyone stop!" Malcolm slaps the palm of his hand on the table, glaring around. "If you can't keep your mouths shut and stop acting like children then you won't get to be with your boyfriend or girlfriend! We're trying to keep from getting killed here, not trying to get more kisses in than the other couple! So we're all going to get up and calmly walk out the door and then split up, and we'll meet at the lake in half an hour at the latest. If someone isn't there by then we'll assume something is wrong and go looking for you."

"Why are we splitting up?" Marcus asks, looking a bit scared. I want to comfort him, somehow, but the table is in the way.

"Because I doubt that monster is alone," Nico answers, still scrutinizing the people outside, "And we'll be able to move faster through crowds in smaller groups."

"Let's move, everyone," Annabeth orders, giving Marcus a light push to get him to stand up. "Good luck, everyone. Percy – ow, I –" She sinks against him, her face twisting as she accidentally put too much pressure on her ankle.

"Just carry her," Malcolm tells Percy, "And make sure she doesn't get hurt. You're responsible."

"And you are for mine," Nico reminds him, looking at me. "Be safe, both of you."

"For heaven's sake," Alisa interrupts, "You're all acting like we're going to die. We'll be fine! Stop saying goodbye and get going. And don't worry, Layla," she grins impishly at me, "I'll take good care of Nico for you."

And, still laughing, she grabs Nico's hand and skips lightly out the door, looking to the entire world like a happy young girl with the love of her life, without having to worry about dying as soon as she gets out the door. And I sort of wish she was. Hell, I wish we all were.


	42. Chapter 42

Sorry I didn't get to warn you guys. I'm on a trip for about three months so I won't be writing as much as I'd like. What's worse is that I don't have much Internet time so I've actually got my good friend posting for me instead. Sorry!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A cold hand rests on my shoulder like a shadow haunting the night. The man seems to eye the back of my head as if searching. Simply searching. For what, I don't know. He's been like this, silent and scary, haunting me for weeks now. His eyes never leave me yet they refuse to meet my own. Darkness seems to follow him and a certain hunger seems to grow in him. It's deep, as if having existed for years now, just settling itself at the bottom of his heart as if planted there. It's grown. And although the idea seems ridiculous, I know he seems to have formed the idea that what he does is for the best.

His cold hand reaches my neck and he rubs up and down. The motion would have been soothing had it not been for the way he had done it. The motion itself is cold, dangerous and almost deadly.

Fear fills me sending shivers of inexistent cold up my spine. His hand cups my cheek and my head turns instinctively away from the movement. His evil smile grows upon his face, the cold completely visible in it.

"You are strong for one of your age," he says simply. "And for one of your...kind."

The word forms on his lips as if in disgust, forcing itself out into the night as if he did not wish to speak it.

"Why me?" I ask. I am surprised by the words that come from me. Although I would have gladly stood against him in the past, this is the first time I have ever spoken in any of the haunting nightmares.

"The daughter of my enemy, child of the dark," he said, walking through the room. "Who else am I to kill? Who else am I to use to take for his debt?"

"He has a son, you know." I don't know why I said it. I would never make my Sstep brother take my place. If anything, I would take his in a situation of this sort.

The man turns to me, a slight look of annoyance on his usually calm and collected face. "Because I owe your brother a debt," he said simply. "He fought for our side in the war. His other sister died by my childs hand."

"So you take mine instead?"

He stops his pacing suddenly, facing me head on. "Because you are worthless in comparison," he said. "His life is valuable, yours is dispensable."

"You forget who my father is," I spit at him. "Worthlessness is not a genetic trait in his lineage."

"But I see danger and arrogance are," he said, voice cold and regulated. "As can be expected of a spontaneous, arrogant child of darkness."

I feel like hitting him but I know better. Hitting him would mean immediate death.

"Then why do you let me keep going?" I ask. "My friends and I are out in the world but you dont seem to feel the need to blow us into a million pieces?"

"Watch your words, daughter of death," he seethes. "Or I may just grant your wish. As for that, I want you to arrive. I want you to find your wretched father."

"And why is that?"

"Because although the world craves peace, there is nothing more compensating than a war to show others who their enemy truly is."

And then, with a wave of his hand, the dream fades and I wake up gasping for breath.

...:..:...

The cloth on my forehead is cold and wet, causing me to shiver in the already cool air conditioned room. A face grins down at me and Alisa ruffles my hair as if I were a child, earning her a weak glare.

"Hey look! The kiddo finally got up!" she calls out with a grin.

I groan at the noise, curling onto my side and pulling the blanket up over my head to block it out.

"Any news from Mister Holier-Than-Thou?" she asks, earning herself another glare but from Annabeth this time who is sitting beside her.

"Please try to keep him from getting mad," Annabeth sighed, resting back on her hand. From my point of view, it's just us three here in the room. "And please attempt not to antagonize the patient."

"A, I am not a glass doll," I sigh, turning back onto my back. "And B, yes, I spoke to him."

The words seem to catch Annabeth off guard. "You spoke to him?"

"Yeah, last night," I say with a shrug. "It wasn't bad. He's weird and intimidating though."

"No shit, Sherlock," Alisa chuckles. "Any real news?"

I bite my lip for a moment, wondering how much of the dream I should tell them. "Well, he really is out to finish me off. He admitted to it. But he didn't murder me this time so it wasn't too bad. Where are we, by the way?"

"We're in a hotel in Manhattan," Annabeth explained, handing me a credit card. "Although it seems like cheating, we needed a bit of money so we managed to do a bit of hacking into the banks central system by the help of the Stoll brothers. Go downstairs. There's a restaurant in the lobby. Grab something to eat and then meet me back up here once you're done."

"I see..." I say with a shrug as I slip the card into my sweater pocket and hobble to the door.

"Alisa, you go with her," Annabeth insists, getting up and pushing the two girls to the door. "I have business to go through but I should be done before you get back."

"'Business'," Alisa says with a small smirk, making quotation marks in the air with her fingers. "I'm assuming 'business' means Percy."

"Just shut up and go eat," she mutters as she closes the door behind us. But I catch the small smile on her lips right before it's hidden behind the wooden door.

"Good an answer as any," Alisa laughs as she leads me downstairs. "Come on, we've got a hell of a lot of money and some much needed coffee to be purchased."


End file.
